Utah: Mormonism, Sundance… and Gay Marriage?

by Bryce Garner/Creative Commons

The Beehive State is all a-buzz.

Utah is known for Mormonism and Sundance, but it's about to be known for something a little more unconventional: gay marriage. U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled today that Utah's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

"The court hereby declares that Amendement 3 [the ban against same-sex marriage] is unconstitutional," the order stated, "because it denies the Plantiffs their rights to due process and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution."

This is good news for the plantiffs — Moudi Sberty, Derek L. Kitchen, Karen Archer, Kate Call, Kody Partridge and Laurie Wood — and for LGBTQ Utahns (yep, that's what they call themselves). It's also good news for queers in Texas, where Article 1, Section 32 of the Texas Constitution which says, "Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman."

Utah will likely appeal, but given the turning political tide, its chances of winning are anyone's guess. If a gay marriage ban can be overturned in a state known for its oppressive views toward LGBTQs, anything good is possible.

Props also to New Mexico, for their state supreme court ruling yesterday, making them the 17th state in the Union to allow same-sex marriage. Yet another fabulous reason for donning gay apparel! If this keeps up, they're going to just start calling it "apparel."