Marriage News Watch, 4/14/14

Matt Baume of the American Foundation for Equal Rights reports:




Update, 8:30 p.m., from Freedom to Marry:

Today, U.S. District Court judge Timothy Black officially issued his ruling in Henry v. Himes, declaring that the state of Ohio must respect the marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other states. He wrote, "Ohio’s marriage recognition bans are facially unconstitutional and unenforceable under any circumstances."

The ruling has been stayed - meaning it does not take effect immediately - throughout the state of Ohio. Tomorrow, the judge will revisit whether a stay is necessary for the four plaintiff couples, who he says have demonstrated clear and urgent harm: That when they give birth to their children, they must be respected as married so that both parents can appear on the birth certificates. The judge wrote, "The Court inclines toward a finding that the issuance of correct birth certificates for Plaintiffs’ children, due in June or earlier, should not be stayed."

Text of the ruling is here.