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'Love Wins' in Alabama as Federal Judge Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban
State responds to ruling by asking judge to issue stay
Jan 24, 2015
A federal judge on Friday struck down Alabama's gay marriage ban.
U.S. District Court Judge Callie Granade wrote in her ruling: "Those children currently being raised by same-sex parents in Alabama are just as worthy of protection and recognition by the State as are the children being raised by opposite-sex parents. Yet Alabama's Sanctity laws harms the children of same-sex couples for the same reasons that the Supreme Court found that the Defense of Marriage Act harmed the children of same-sex couples."
Adam Polaski explains at Freedom to Marry's blog that "the decision in Alabama was in Searcy v. Strange, filed by Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand and private counsel. Cari and Kim have been working for nearly a decade to legally adopt their son, but because of Alabama's marriage laws, the couple has been confronted with roadblock after roadblock."
Following the ruling, plaintiff Searcy said, "Love did win."
Hours after Judge Granade's ruling, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange filed a motion to stay that ruling until the U.S. Supreme Curt makes its decision on gay marriages nationwide.
"A stay will serve the public interest by avoiding the confusion and inconsistency that will result from an on-again, off-again enforcement of marriage laws," AP reports state lawyers as writing.
Evan Wolfson, president of the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, said the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case was the start of "what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide."
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A federal judge on Friday struck down Alabama's gay marriage ban.
U.S. District Court Judge Callie Granade wrote in her ruling: "Those children currently being raised by same-sex parents in Alabama are just as worthy of protection and recognition by the State as are the children being raised by opposite-sex parents. Yet Alabama's Sanctity laws harms the children of same-sex couples for the same reasons that the Supreme Court found that the Defense of Marriage Act harmed the children of same-sex couples."
Adam Polaski explains at Freedom to Marry's blog that "the decision in Alabama was in Searcy v. Strange, filed by Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand and private counsel. Cari and Kim have been working for nearly a decade to legally adopt their son, but because of Alabama's marriage laws, the couple has been confronted with roadblock after roadblock."
Following the ruling, plaintiff Searcy said, "Love did win."
Hours after Judge Granade's ruling, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange filed a motion to stay that ruling until the U.S. Supreme Curt makes its decision on gay marriages nationwide.
"A stay will serve the public interest by avoiding the confusion and inconsistency that will result from an on-again, off-again enforcement of marriage laws," AP reports state lawyers as writing.
Evan Wolfson, president of the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, said the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case was the start of "what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide."
A federal judge on Friday struck down Alabama's gay marriage ban.
U.S. District Court Judge Callie Granade wrote in her ruling: "Those children currently being raised by same-sex parents in Alabama are just as worthy of protection and recognition by the State as are the children being raised by opposite-sex parents. Yet Alabama's Sanctity laws harms the children of same-sex couples for the same reasons that the Supreme Court found that the Defense of Marriage Act harmed the children of same-sex couples."
Adam Polaski explains at Freedom to Marry's blog that "the decision in Alabama was in Searcy v. Strange, filed by Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand and private counsel. Cari and Kim have been working for nearly a decade to legally adopt their son, but because of Alabama's marriage laws, the couple has been confronted with roadblock after roadblock."
Following the ruling, plaintiff Searcy said, "Love did win."
Hours after Judge Granade's ruling, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange filed a motion to stay that ruling until the U.S. Supreme Curt makes its decision on gay marriages nationwide.
"A stay will serve the public interest by avoiding the confusion and inconsistency that will result from an on-again, off-again enforcement of marriage laws," AP reports state lawyers as writing.
Evan Wolfson, president of the advocacy group Freedom to Marry, said the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case was the start of "what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide."
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