A federal judge on Monday ruled that Utah must recognize the marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples before the Supreme Court issued a stay on the December ruling that struck down the state’s gay marriage ban.
“These legal uncertainties and lost rights cause harm each day that the marriage is not recognized,” Judge Dale Kimball wrote in his opinion, according to the Associated Press.
After a federal judge ruled the state’s law unconstitutional in December, more than 1,000 same-sex couples were married. The Supreme Court then issued a stay on the ruling, putting gay marriages on hold while the state appeals the decision.
While the federal government decided to grant benefits to the couples issued licenses during the 17 days between the ruling and the stay, the state decided not to recognize those marriages.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued Utah for not granting benefits to those couples.
And now, the state of Utah must recognize those marriages. Judge Kimball, however, issued a 21-day hold on the ruling in order to give the state time to appeal his decision, according to Buzzfeed.
My Mormon in-laws in Utah are freaking out at this very moment.
This “cooling-off” period is a joke. It only serves those poor homophobic GOPhers who are hoping against hope that Nino Scalia will come riding in on his trusty steed Clarence and save God-fearing white people from “teh creeping gay”!
First my state of Oregon today, now Utah.
I honestly thought ti would take daces longer before the dominos would fall.
Glad to be proven wrong.
Did you mean lusty steed?
Now watch them appeal to any court they can think of because if there is one thing these clowns have in common, that is to fight to the bitter end
It’s okay, it just makes their tears taste sweeter.