Michigan’s Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down Pending Appeal: See How Fast The Movement Is Spreading

New states are recognizing same-sex unions at an astonishing clip.

Jayne Rowse (left) and April DeBoer talk to reporters outside the Federal Courthouse before a judge heard arguments on their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.Jim West/ZUMA Wire

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Update, Saturday, March 22, 2014, 5:05pm ET: A federal appeals court has issued a temporary stay of Judge Friedman’s ruling until the 26th. That means that the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Michigan is suspended until at least Wednesday.

Same-sex couples may soon be able to wed in Michigan, following a ruling by US District Judge Bernard Friedman finding the state’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has asked the courts to freeze Friedman’s ruling while the state pursues an appeal. Since December 2013, courts have also ruled against gay-marriage bans in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

The animated map below shows how marriage equality is spreading across the country. Read more about that here.

Molly Redden and Matt Connolly

Here’s the full text of Judge Friedman’s ruling:

 

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate