A federal appeals court has struck down Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage.
Monday afternoon, with a vote of 2-to-1, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges upheld a February ruling that found a 2006 amendment to the state Constitution unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Virginia amendment defined marriage as between a man and a woman. In 2012, North Carolinians voted in favor of Amendment One. The state is also part of the 4th Circuit.
Rev. Jasmine Beech-Ferrara, the executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, says before this ruling impacts other states in the 4th Circuit, this case has to go through a 21-day mandate period when the state of Virginia could appeal the ruling. But she believes the ground work has been laid to ultimately dismantle North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage. “What we are very hopeful is that cases in North Carolina that are challenging Amendment One will begin to move forward in the courts," she explains.
"In the big picture, what this means is that a federal court that has an impact on North Carolina has found there is no valid legal defense for a law like Amendment One. That establishes a precedent that we believe will ultimately lead to Amendment One being struck down,” says Rev. Beech-Ferrara.
Other states in the fourth Circuit that would be affected by this ruling include; South Carolina and West Virginia. Same-sex marriage is already legal in Maryland.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad