Utah’s Same Sex Marriage Ban Struck Down
A federal judge has struck down Utah’s same-sex marriage ban, saying it is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby issued a 53-page ruling Friday saying Utah’s law passed by voters in 2004 violates gay and lesbian couples’ rights to due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment.
As the Salt Lake Tribune noted, the ruling is the first to address whether states may ban gay marriage since the U.S. Supreme Court stuck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act this summer.
Many similar court challenges are pending in other states, but Utah’s has been closely watched because of the state’s history of staunch opposition to gay marriage as the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
More: Federal Judge Strikes Down Utah’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban
