AH-MAZING!
A federal judge just struck down Oklahoma’s ban against same-sex marriage and we think this is a huge victory for those who support everyone’s right to love!!!
In U.S. District Judge Terrence Kern‘s 68-page ruling, he said he struck down the law — originally passed in 2004 — because it violated our U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause!
He admitted the ban was “an arbitrary, irrational exclusion of just one class of Oklahoma citizens from a governmental benefit” and then wrote:
“Excluding same-sex couples from marriage has done little to keep Oklahoma families together thus far, as Oklahoma consistently has one of the highest divorce rates in the country… Equal protection is at the very heart of our legal system and central to our consent to be governed. It is not a scarce commodity to be meted out begrudgingly or in short portions. Therefore, the majority view in Oklahoma must give way to individual constitutional rights.”
We agree completely!!!
This is especially encouraging news considering another super conservative state, Utah, also struck down a similar ban on same-sex marriages last month!
Unfortunately, same sex couples won’t be able to get married in OK just yet — the judge has stayed his ruling in anticipation of an appeal.
Hopefully the appeal process will be over quickly and everyone who loves each other in Oklahoma will be able to marry!
[Image via WENN.]