Attorneys for same-sex couples urge court to permit issuance of marriage licenses come Monday

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Robynn Tysver

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to delay gay marriages in Oklahoma, Utah and a slew of other states, so why should same-sex couples in Nebraska have to wait?

That was one of the arguments made Thursday by the attorneys for seven same-sex couples in Nebraska, who urged the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow gay marriage licenses to be issued in this state starting Monday.

In a brief filed with the appellate court, the ACLU of Nebraska noted that the U.S. Supreme Court refused to squash several preliminary injunctions overturning gay-marriage bans in other states. In addition, numerous other federal and state courts — 65 in the past two years — have deemed such bans unconstitutional.

“The overwhelming weight of judicial authority ... agrees that marriage bans like Nebraska’s are unconstitutional,” the ACLU argued. “There is a near judicial consensus on this issue because there is no valid legal argument supporting marriage bans.”

FULL story at link.



THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gay rights advocate Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag in front of the Supreme Court at sun up in Washington, D.C.

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