UPDATE:
The New Jersey Supreme Court denied a stay of a lower court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and outlawing inferior civil unions. New Jersey becomes marriage equality state #14 on Monday.
ORIGINAL POST:
Although Oregon has an anti-marriage amendment, the state will recognize marriages performed elsewhere. Oregon will probably have a ballot initiative to repeal the amendment in 2014. Neighboring Washington and California both have marriage equality.
Newly elected Sen. Cory Booker will perform New Jersey’s first same-sex marriages. Last month, a court ruled that the state’s civil unions were not equal, as specified they needed to be in the original law. On Monday, Oct. 21, the court order comes into effect and New Jersey becomes state No. 14 (plus D.C. and parts of New Mexico and on a number of Indian reservations) with marriage equality.
Taking a page out of the New Mexico playbook, Buncombe County Register of Deeds has accepted 10 marriage license applications and asked the North Carolina attorney general for legal advice. He said there was a contradiction between state and federal law and wanted clarification.
Marriage equality will go on trial in Michigan. The court will look at whether the 2004 marriage ban serves a legitimate state interest.
In France, the high court ruled mayors can’t block same-sex marriage because of personal religious or moral beliefs.
