Ohio, Michigan and Others Uphold Ban on Gay Marriage

[Corvus of the Black Night]

I can't believe people are still talking about that stupid south florida thing from like a month ago this just kind of happened yesterday

DETROIT -
Same-sex marriage flag outside court Detroit Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage remains in place despite a district judge's ruling that it is unconstitutional.

The ruling Thursday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit reversed district court rulings that had struck down gay marriage bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

It was after a two-week trial this year that U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman made his ruling on Michigan's ban. He decided a 2004 voter-approved amendment to the Michigan constitution, which limits marriage to opposite-sex couples, violated the U.S. Constitution's right of equal protection. Attorney General Bill Schuette quickly filed for an emergency stay pending an appeal in the case.

The appeal rested with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.

Complete coverage: Fight over Michigan's gay marriage ban

"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has ruled, and Michigan's constitution remains in full effect," said Schuette in a statement released Thursday. "As I have stated repeatedly, the U.S. Supreme Court will have the final word on this issue. The sooner they rule, the better, for Michigan and the country."

The court panel that heard arguments on gay marriage bans or restrictions in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee on Aug. 6 split 2-1, with Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton writing the majority opinion.

The ruling revealed Thursday creates a divide among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the Supreme Court will now take up the issue.

Gov. Rick Snyder said same-sex couples who were married in March during a temporary stay were legally married but will not have benefits.

"The Court of Appeals decision does not allow for state benefits of marriage for those same-sex couples in accordance with our state constitution," the governor said in a statement. "That decision only can be changed if today's Appeals Court ruling is overturned."

Two Detroit-area nurses -- April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse -- challenged Michigan's ban on gay marriage, pushing the case to trial. Their lawyer says they'll next go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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I think it's safe to say most people on Pokecommunity support the rights of same sex couples to marry. So let's focus on this - what implications do you believe that this has for the fight to same sex couples? Do you think the supreme court will definitely take on this case, or do you think there's a chance that it may be rejected? If claimed unconstitutional by the supreme court, what implications do you believe that this may for other possible movements, even if seemingly unrelated? If the supreme court does not address this case, what will the impact be on the region?

Personally, I think this is the beginning of something big. I wonder where this will go and I hope that the choice made today is redacted, but I think it's too early to tell to determine what the final verdict will be.

 

[Oryx]

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said a while back that basically this was the landmark decision - if it fell this way, they would have to take on gay marriage on a fast timetable. On the one hand, it upsets me that it fell this way. On the other hand, I'm glad that it forced the hand of the Supreme Court and now they can't just sit back and ignore the issue.

 

[Caite-chan]

Makes me embarrassed to live in this state (Michigan) that has to pull this crap. I don't think it's right at all to be told who you can and can't marry just because it's not man and women.

 

[Sir Codin]

I'm with Oryx on this one. As much as this sucks, it's kind of a blessing in disguise in that the Supreme Court can no longer turn a blind eye on this issue. Unless they rule in favor of bans, in which case it's no longer a blessing, just ludicrous.

 

[Winston-Harlem]

When you look at these sorts of things that're happening in the United States from a larger point-of-view, you really see that it's a rehash of a lot of conflicts with stupidity tried and tried again in past "chosen nations". The culture of the US has this big-boss attitude about the world around them, and the issue with that lies in that they're really… ignorant about that world. If you reach back into the history books and look at recordings from the British Empire, the Japanese Empire, or any other nation of sorts that had a global handle on things, I have a feeling you will find some repeating themes.

Then again, as far as history goes it is also a first time thing in a way as well, as the British Empire, medieval Christendom, and even Rome or Phoenicia were all global powers by conquest, whereas the United States uses politics a lot more than manpower to get what they want. It's a nasty mixture of pre-hippie conservatism with a heaping helping of egoism, as far as I can tell. Yeah, ew.

 

[Livewire]

It's almost a blessing in disguise because now the SC has to take up the issue, the 6th Circuit broke up the string of victories everywhere else in the country, and we can't have one circuit judge issue a completely different ruling than the rest. Which is little more than partisan garbage. The dissent written in this case is hilarious because it utterly eviscerates the ruling and the judge in the process.

 

[CoffeeDrink]

I think it's a bunch of old folks who are a bit afraid that they might be homosexual themselves. Not that far fetched actually, as we've seen this before: Politician hates the gays, but seems to think it's okay to gay in his own home; which is just what the homosexuals want to begin with.

It's always mind numbing when this issue comes up. Pay attention people, because your hard earned money is funneling towards these people. You're paying these people to say this by way of taxes. Even though these people are payed by you, and are supposed to follow what the people want, they turn around and pull this stunt. Have they no shame?