Courtesy of Freedom To MarryA federal judge revealed today (Friday April 4th) that he is going to overturn the law in Ohio which banned the recognition of same sex marriages.
The law, which was voted in by members of the public, will be revoked. This means that Gay couples in Ohio will now have their marriage officially recognized, entitling them to the benefits of being a married couple. The judge’s main force against having this law repealed was that the ruling wasn’t constitutionally fair.
A lawsuit, started by a civil rights lawyer along with several members of the LGBT community, has been ongoing since February. The lawsuit wasn’t for gay marriage to be introduced, it was to ensure that it would be officially recognized.
Judge Timothy Black said, “I intend to issue a declaration that Ohio’s recognition bans, that have been relied upon to deny legal recognition to same-sex couples validly entered in other states where legal, violates the rights secured by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution” and “They’re denied their fundamental right to marry a person of their choosing and the right to remain married.”
For now, it is unclear why Judge Black has made this decision. The early announcement of his ruling does, however, give the State time to prepare an appeal of his decision. Whilst his act doesn’t force the state to perform gay marriages, it is a huge step for LGBT rights within Ohio.
The ruling is reported to be officially announced on the 14th April 2014.
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