Marriage equality began Friday, Oct. 10, in Idaho and North Carolina and on Sunday, Oct. 12, a federal judge in Alaska threw out that state’s marriage discrimination law.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to place a permanent injunction on the Ninth Circuit’s decision that Idaho’s marriage law is discriminatory. Earlier in the week, the court place a temporary stay, but on Friday decided not to extend it. A county clerk in one county began issuing marriage licenses on Friday. The governor said counties should wait for an order from the Ninth Circuit.
A U.S. district judge in North Carolina ruled on Friday that marriage equality is neither a political nor moral issue, but a legal one and is a matter of settled law. At least one county clerk in that state began issuing licenses on Friday. More are expected to begin issuing licenses this week.
The lawsuit was brought by United Church of Christ and Union for Reform Judaism. Both denominations believe in marriage equality and claimed religious discrimination because they can’t perform marriages.
On Sunday, an Alaska judge threw out that state’s marriage ban after hearing a marriage case on Friday.
In 1998, Alaska became the first state to put a ban on same-sex marriage into its constitution when the state came close to passing marriage equality. The governor said the state will appeal. No word yet on a stay or whether marriages can begin.
The decision puts Alaska in line with last week’s Ninth Circuit ruling on Nevada and Idaho throwing out the marriage bans in those states. Other states in the circuit include California, Oregon and Washington that already have marriage equality. Arizona and Montana, also in the circuit, have yet to be heard from.Nevada began issuing licenses on Thursday, Oct. 9. While prostitution has been legal in Nevada for years, marriage hasn’t been, so moral arguments against marriage from that state’s officials have been particularly ironic.If Kansas, Wyoming, West Virgina and South Carolina fall into line with their circuit courts, 35 states will have marriage equality. Meanwhile, Texas and Mississippi are battling to be last.
