A marriage ban in one of the remaining US states to have such laws has been declared unconstitutional, in a decision campaigners say “puts another big crack in the wall of discrimination that keeps countless LGBT people as second class citizens”. The quick ruling has come from a judge in South Dakota and continues the momentum of marriage equality in the US. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) says the rapid summary judgement means that the judge believes the plaintiffs are being actively harmed by the law in question and that the law is highly unlikely to be upheld in the event of a full hearing. “According to Judge Schreier’s ruling and two dozen others over the last year, there is no justifiable reason to keep these discriminatory marriage bans on the books,” says the HRC’s Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The truth is, laws prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying serve no purpose other than to harm Americans who simply want to protect and provide for themselves and their families. “Ultimately the US Constitution does not allow states to continue discriminating against committed and loving gay and lesbian couples. It’s only a matter of time before the US Supreme Court decides the issue once and for all.” The judge’s ruling in South Dakota has been stayed, pending appeal by the state.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 13th January 2015 - 10:41am