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Federal Judge Orders Michigan to Respect Legal Marriages of 300 Same-Sex Couples


New York –(ENEWSPF)–January 15, 2015.  Today U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ruled that Michigan must respect the marriages of the approximately 300 same-sex couples who married after Judge Bernard Friedman struck down marriage discrimination last March.  The decision rebukes the state for refusing to respect those marriages. The ruling came as the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to grant review of several marriage cases, including one out of Michigan.

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:

“Last March, 300 committed couples paid their fees, were issued marriage licenses, stood before family and friends, and got married. Unfortunately it took a federal court to get the state of Michigan to treat them as what they are: married. Too many other couples are still being denied the freedom to marry and full respect and equality under the law, in Michigan and other states, and action by the courts remains urgently needed. With marriage cases, including one out of Michigan, now before the Supreme Court, it is time for the justices to grant review and end marriage discrimination nationwide once and for all, without delay, and with no American family or state left behind.”

In the past two years, virtually every federal and state court to hear marriage cases has ruled in favor of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, with only one appellate court ruling the other way. The Supreme Court could grant review of that outlier ruling, from the 6th Circuit, as soon as tomorrow.

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Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

Source: www.freedomtomarry.org


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