Gay Marriage Coming To Colorado and 10 Other States?

[tampa24]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the hotly contested issue of gay marriage, a surprise move that will allow gay men and women to marry in five states where same-sex weddings were previously banned.

By rejecting appeals in cases involving Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Indiana, the court left intact lower-court rulings that struck down bans in those states.

Other states under the jurisdiction of appeals courts that struck down the bans will also be affected, meaning the number of states with gay marriage is likely to quickly jump from 19 to 30.

The other states would be North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado.

The issue could still return to the court, but the message sent by the court in declining to hear the matter would be a boost to gay marriage advocates involved in similar litigation in states that still have bans on the books.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-declines-intervene-gay-marriage-cases-135144175.html

*******************************************************​

Just for my own information and yours I looked up the states where gay marriage is already legal as of today October 6, 2014. They are:

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Illinois
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington

*Also the capitol (District of Columbia) Washington D.C.



For those particular states whose legal cases were opposed to it, the Supreme Court was really their only hope of maintaining the bans on gay marriage. So by the Supremes refusing to take up the appeals of lower court rulings, the bans on gay marriage in these states are now defunct. They have been ruled unconstitutional.

Again, they are:

Colorado
Indiana
Kansas
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia
Wisconsin
West Virginia
Wyoming

As stated above from Reuters, this would bring the current number of states with gay marriage from 19 to 30.

I'm no legal expert but I believe this means that failing any more delay-tactic (and useless) appeals, that gay marriage will have to be made legal in these states in a matter of weeks or days.

 

[tampa24]

I'm no legal expert but I believe this means that failing any more delay-tactic (and useless) appeals, that gay marriage will have to be made legal in these states in a matter of weeks or days.

Err... Make that hours. haha CNN reports that same-sex couples in Virginia started marrying today. Possibly other states too? This story is moving and evolving very quickly as the news nationwide is setting in.

 

[another1]

the remaining 20 states will likely not go away quietly. in an age where speed is measured in megabits per seconds and light-speed, the speed of the legal process is measured in months and the passage of months becomes years.
it wasn't many months ago when a court sitting in san Francisco ruled a ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's requirement of equal treatment and the high court, in Washington, sidestepped the broad question of whether state bans violated the Constitution but allowed gay marriage in California. 10 years ago, Massachusetts stood alone!

 

[joninliverton]

I read about it on the BBC.

 

[tampa24]

From cnn.com on 10/6/14:

"Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said all of the state's 54 county clerks must start issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

A similar order could be issued by day's end for Indiana and Wisconsin."

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/politics/scotus-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[tampa24]

We are reaching a point of critical mass here in both the number of states where gay marriage is legalized and the percentage of the U.S. population residing in states where it is legal. If we assume that all 11 states will now be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, then as stated above the number of states will be 30 out of 50. In terms of the number of people living in states where gay marriage is legal, it brings that number to a little over 60% of the U.S. population.

It will be very difficult for the remaining 20 sates to hold out. At the very least it makes it exceedingly difficult for them to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages of its citizens performed in other states. I only know of one state where their ban on gay marriage was upheld recently. The other 19 remaining states will not likely be able to buck that national tide. (Neither in the courts nor in the court of public opinion)

 

[stowe1]

Within a few days, a week at the most the states covered by today's denial of a writ of certiorari but not the principal appellants will begin same sex marriages. We are waiting for decisions from the 9th Circuit based in San Francisco and the 6th Circuit based in Cincinnati for rulings. If they both go for marriage equality, they will add 9 more states to the count (NV, AZ, ID, MT, AK, MI, OHIO, KY, & TN for a total of 39. Some court watcher think the the 6th circuit is the most conservative and might uphold bans.

Then we have the 5th circuit (Tx, La, Ms), 8th circuit (ND, SD, NE, MO, AR), and the 11th circuit (AL,GA,FL) where state cases are winding their way through the system to get to the circuit courts.

I'm guessing that if the 6th circuit rules against marriage equality, that might embolden one of the southern circuits to do the same (although I don't know the makeup of those circuits). I would think the 5th or 11th circuit would be more conservative than the 6th.

I had predicted this lack of action by the Supremes months ago. There was no compelling reason to take these cases because they were all in agreement on the issue. I'm guessing that the Supremes will wait to see how the other circuits rule and if there is one circuit which rules against marriage equality then it will have to take the case, but it will be an easy ruling because we will have the vast number of circuits having ruled in favor. Remember the Court waited until 34 states dealt with the issue of miscegenation before it took up a case and ruled it unconstitutional.

Another interesting fact about today's action is that it only takes 4 votes to grant a writ of certiorari to hear a case. Thus since a writ was denied that means at least one of the four (Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito) who voted against Windsor if not more did not vote to take up the issue.

In my wildest dreams I never thought I'd see this in my life time. I hope I live long enough to see it nationwide.

We owe a debt of immeasurable gratitude to all those who became plaintiffs and all the organizations and people who have supported not only the court cases, but also the political grassroots and saw laws adopted and bans overturned affecting marriage equality. When these kinds of events happen, my mind goes back to Stonewall and those brave souls who fought back and lit the spark of revolution and evolution that has happened in the 45 years since. How happy they must be looking down from Heaven and seeing their labors bearing such fruit.

 

[another1]

Still the drag queens who we were responsible for stonewall are pushed to the sidelines.

 

[tampa24]

Another interesting fact about today's action is that it only takes 4 votes to grant a writ of certiorari to hear a case. Thus since a writ was denied that means at least one of the four (Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito) who voted against Windsor if not more did not vote to take up the issue.

In my wildest dreams I never thought I'd see this in my life time. I hope I live long enough to see it nationwide.

We owe a debt of immeasurable gratitude to all those who became plaintiffs and all the organizations and people who have supported not only the court cases, but also the political grassroots and saw laws adopted and bans overturned affecting marriage equality. When these kinds of events happen, my mind goes back to Stonewall and those brave souls who fought back and lit the spark of revolution and evolution that has happened in the 45 years since. How happy they must be looking down from Heaven and seeing their labors bearing such fruit.

Great post Stowe!

I'm having fun imagining Scalia squirming in his seat after the writ didn't pass. (As I'm imagining that he is one of those who most certainly voted for it. haha) But then again while he's one of the most conservative justices, he's not an idiot either. Most of the justices see the writing on the wall. With the U.S. armed forces now admitting openly gay recruits, and the I.R.S. recognizing all legally performed gay marriages of any U.S. citizens for tax filing purposes...regardless of the state in which they currently reside...can anyone imagine them overturning gay marriage nationwide and putting that genie back into the bottle?

I agree that I never thought I would live to see gay rights progress to where we have seen them come. Frankly I never thought I would live that long. When I think back the eighties when AIDS reared its ugly head, I assumed it would be several more decades (if not longer) before we saw any substantive kind of mainstream acceptance.

Our indebtedness and gratitude to all of those plaintiffs, lawyers, grassroots organizations, volunteers and yes...the drag queens at Stonewall who took billy clubs to the face and still fought back, is obvious.

 

[tampa24]

I found a list of the remaining 20 states where gay marriage is still illegal.

They are:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heres-status-gay-marriage-50-states-074311504.html

 

[tampa24]

Gay Marriage Officially Legal in Colorado!

From the L.A. Times:

Colorado officially authorized same-sex marriage on Tuesday, becoming part of the wave of states reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear any pending appeals on gay marriage..

The court's action effectively made gay marriage legal in states with about two-thirds of the nation’s people. Eleven more states were working on the technicalities of allowing same-sex marriage after the ruling.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court lifted injunctions against three county clerks, allowing them to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Less than an hour after the order was issued, Colorado Atty. Gen. John Suthers gave all 64 county clerks the order to begin issuing marriage licenses.

“There are no remaining legal requirements that prevent same-sex couples from legally marrying in Colorado,” Suthers said in a statement posted on his website. “Beginning today, Colorado’s 64 county clerks are legally required to issue licenses to same-sex couples who request them. In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is required to register such marriages in the records of the State of Colorado.”

“This is a wonderful day for Colorado and especially for couples and their families who have been denied this fundamental right for far too long,” Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall said in a statement.

Colorado holds a special place in the annals of the fight over same-sex marriage. Almost from the day the federal appeals court in June legalized gay marriage, county clerks fought with the attorney general’s office over the issue.

Earlier, Douglas County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Tuesday, following similar action in two counties -- Pueblo and Larimer – which began issuing licenses on Monday. Stacey Nowlin and Leona Rogers were apparently the first same-sex couple to receive a license in Colorado and were married at the Pueblo office around noon.


Source: http://www.latimes.com/nation/natio...-wave-of-same-sex-marriages-141007-story.html

 

[tampa24]

According to MSNBC the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that bans on same-sex marriage in the states under which it has jurisdiction, are unconstitutional. What does that mean? The 9th Circuit has jurisdiction over several western states. The court was ruling directly on cases brought by the 2 states of Idaho and Nevada. So now Idaho and Nevada have to allow gay marriage also.

Here's the kicker... Since the 9th Circuit has jurisdiction over many states, their ruling of the unconstitutionality of same sex marriage bans applies to all states within its purview that still have those bans on their books. What else does that mean? It means that on Tuesday the states of Alaska, Arizona and Montana were also told their bans are unconstitutional. It means that within 36 hours of the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear appeals of states wishing to maintain their bans on same-sex marriage...that not just 11, but 16 more states have been told they have to legalize gay marriage.

Again. Just on Tuesday, 5 more states have been added to the list. They are:

Alaska
Arizona
Idaho
Nevada
Montana

Take that Sarah Palin! haha

As of Wednesday morning today 35 states now either already allow gay marriage or are compelled to allow it, based partly on Tuesday's most recent ruling of the 9th Circuit. I'm just amazed at the speed with which this is all unfolding. We've gone from 19 states to 35 states in less than two days. Phew!

 

[joninliverton]

It's interesting seeing all this going on with gay marriage. But how many of those states that you mention are actually gay friendly ? As an example - If I were to visit the USA as a gay person, which states should I avoid or even better which cities are the most homophobic ?

 

[tampa24]

I can't honestly say which states are the most homophobic Jon. Acts of violence or discrimination can happen at the hands of random people in any location. I'll go out on a limb here though with some stereotypes we have in our country. The Midwest, including Ohio and Michigan, have been very homophobic in the past. I'm not sure where they are now in their general outlook. It used to be horrible though in just how pervasive the homophobia was. It's also no coincidence that many of the last states holding out against gay marriage are mostly in the south. These are often called the "Bible Belt" states where evangelical Christians hold sway. They typically hold much more conservative views on social issues including an abhorrence of homosexuality...with the literal biblical interpretation that homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God.

With the exception of the Midwestern states, it's no coincidence that many of the final holdouts have been not only "Bible Belt" states, but also form a majority of the old Confederacy of the Civil War. There is a lingering resentment and distrust there of being told what to do by the federal government. The southern states still want to have as many sovereign rights as possible to decide their own affairs. Texas has an especially strong reputation of being distrustful of what they see as any federal intervention in their laws or affairs. The chances are quite likely that the final last state to be forced to approve gay marriage in the U.S. will be one in the "Old South".

Having said all that, there is really no place in the U.S. that has a really bad reputation as being unsafe for gays. Also of course, the tide has been turning in our favor for many years now. Of course these are my own views, experiences and opinions. Does anyone else have a different opinion?

 

[mikeyank]

Having said all that, there is really no place in the U.S. that has a really bad reputation as being unsafe for gays. Also of course, the tide has been turning in our favor for many years now. Of course these are my own views, experiences and opinions. Does anyone else have a different opinion?

I have no personal experience to back this up, but I've often heard to be careful if you are driving down to Florida from New York, not to get stopped by cops in the "deep south" especially if you are black, gay, Jewish or from New York, and being three out of the four, I've always flown to Florida, not driven there.

 

[tampa24]

I've always had a fear of driving through Georgia because of its reputation for having corrupt local police departments eager to make revenue off of people from out of state. (Or especially those with northern license plates.) And that never even had to do with the gay issue. I still do drive through Georgia to go up north though. Hopefully that's becoming a stereotype of the south that will fade away in modern times.

"Driving while black" is still a chilling proposition in the South particularly.

 

[another1]

It's interesting seeing all this going on with gay marriage. But how many of those states that you mention are actually gay friendly ? As an example - If I were to visit the USA as a gay person, which states should I avoid or even better which cities are the most homophobic ?

a simple rule to follow is don't wander to far outside of town and stay with your own kind. the larger the town the more likely there will be more like yourself. the rule applies broadly across the states.
if you take a road trip, there are states where, if there is something about you that set you apart (color, license plate) should prepare you to pay fines or bribes.

 

[tampa24]

From the Huffington Post. The first quote is from Governor Mary Fallin of the great state of Oklahoma :




"Today's decision has been cast by the media as a victory for gay rights. What has been ignored, however, is the right of Oklahomans - and Americans in every state - to write their own laws and govern themselves as they see fit. Those rights have once again been trampled by an arrogant, out-of-control federal government that wants to substitute Oklahoma values with Washington, D.C. values." -- Governor Mary Fallin



Dear Governor Mary Fallin,

I re-introduced myself to you in an open letter I penned last September. I assume you might have a vague recollection.

I have been blessed enough to travel to amazing places. But, regardless of what new city I may see a sunset; Oklahoma's remains the most beautiful to me.

I never know where my work may take me. But, if I want to go to the home of my heart, nothing is up in the air. I'll be going to Oklahoma.

I applaud the Supreme Court's decision to let the rulings of appeals courts stand in regard to same-sex marriage bans. While your action last year told me that my heart (and tax dollars) were not welcome in my home state, the Supreme Court declared that you do not get to decide that I'm not equal in my birthplace.

In your statement regarding this, you lambasted the "out-of-control" federal government for overlooking the will of Oklahoma voters, who did vote to outlaw gay marriage 10 years ago. States' rights, you say, are being stomped by Washington D.C. arrogance, of which you were once a part.

Governor, you understand, that without the federal government taking the lead on the 19th amendment, women might not still be able to vote in some states, much less hold office. Was that "out-of-control?"

You can state that a majority of Oklahomans voted for a same-sex marriage ban in 2004 all you want. The fact is they did. However, the vast majority of Southerners supported the peculiar institution of slavery during the Civil War. That didn't make it right, did it? And their support doesn't make it any less over. If you will go on the record stating that the federal government is overreaching by striking down laws that create "separate, but equal" citizenry in individual states regarding marriage laws, will you now go on the record saying that Alabama should have been entitled to keep slaves because the majority supported it?

The federal government stepped in and saved many Oklahomans with 1937's New Deal. I know you are depending on elderly voters. I would love to hear you denounce that as an overreach. You are, after all, counting on senior citizens to turn out in your re-election bid. And while you are correct, "that decision has been cast by the media as a victory for gay rights." But more than a victory for gay rights it is a victory for so many whom have been told their love is wrong. It's a civil rights victory for the nearly 200,000 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people who live in the great state of Oklahoma.

This was a win. It was a win for anyone who believes in the golden rule. Within Christianity that rule is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Within America, that rule is that we all are created equal.

I don't condemn you for your divorce. I actually think it is cool that your first marriage proposal was at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion.

Gov. Fallin, I can't wait to return home to Oklahoma and attend the weddings of many of my gay friends, or maybe someday the wedding of one of my two gay brothers. And maybe, just maybe, you will have come around and will officiate your first marriage that resembles equality. While denying political gain and campaign contributions but treating others as Jesus would have, with Love and Respect.

Love conquers all.

Today love won.

Dillon Pena

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dillon-pena/rubuttal-to-mary-fallins-_b_5943260.html