As had been widely anticipated, a federal judge in Wisconsin struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage, continuing the march toward national marriage equality for the LGBT community.
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb held that the state’s prohibition against same-sex couples being allowed to wed legally in the state violated the Constitution’s 14th amendment’s equal protection clause. This would raise to 27th the number of states and territories where same-sex bans have been enacted but have been set-aside, or where legislatures have approved gay marriage statutes. It was immediately unclear whether Judge Crabb’s ruling would permit marriages to take place immediately, though it is likely action would be staying following and appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals.
The suit was initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of eight same-sex couples.
