PA SSM ruling: Ban struck down!

[redheadbaker]

Just got a phone notification. 

 

[ringstrue]

yay!

[demandypants]

WOOOO!!!!

[redheadbaker]

Pennsylvania's ban on gay marriage has been overturned by a federal judge in a decision that makes same-sex matrimony legal throughout the Northeast.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III's decision Tuesday is a victory for 11 couples, a widow and one of the couples' two teenage daughters who filed the first challenge to the law.

Gov. Tom Corbett's office had defended the law after Attorney General Kathleen Kane called it unconstitutional and refused to defend it.

Pennsylvania was the last remaining state in the Northeast to outlaw gay marriage.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the law inflicts harm on same-sex couples and their children by depriving them of the legal protections and tax benefits afforded to married couples.

An appeal to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is likely.

6abc.com/politics/federal-judge-strikes-down-pa-gay-marriage-ban/69333/

[ChillyMcFreeze]

I feel like this fight is finally being won!!

[JLV]

I'm so happy!!!!!

Woooo PA!

[NewOrleans]

4 in 7 days! FOUR!

[Velar Fricative]

Now New England and Mid-Atlantic region of the US are fully rainbow-colored! I need to find a map of Maine down through DC with all states shaded the same color now.

[IIOY]

I am sincerely hopeful that my FIL's head explodes today when he hears this.

[NewOrleans]

[msmerymac]

Can we mention that the state attorney general refused to defend the ban, so the governor's office stepped in to do so? BOO Corbett.

But not to be a negative nancy, here are some positives: 1) there is no stay issued with this ruling, so marriage licenses can be issued immediately. There is a 3 day waiting period in PA, so the first same sex marriages in the state can begin on Friday. 2) Equality PA has rallies planned in Philly, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Erie tonight. Philly rally is at City Hall at 5pm.

[mrsukyankee]

Fabulous!!!! Wahoo! Finally my birth state has left the 1950s (at least in this area).

[josieposy]

I can't keep up, these are all changing so fast.

[IIOY]

The Philly Register of Wills has announced it is staying open for an extra hour today in case anyone wants to get a marriage license.

[NewOrleans]

May 20, 2014 14:15:43 GMT -5 IIOY said:

The Philly Register of Wills has announced it is staying open for an extra hour today in case anyone wants to get a marriage license.

Let's go buy some makeup to celebrate!   (devil)

<)  

[erbear]

WAHOOOOO! About time

[JLV]

May 20, 2014 14:15:43 GMT -5 IIOY said:

The Philly Register of Wills has announced it is staying open for an extra hour today in case anyone wants to get a marriage license.

I seriously just did a happy dance!

[Velar Fricative]

The Northeast looks so pretty! If Virginia's ban is officially struck down after its appeal, then West Virginia will be the new state to stick out like a sore thumb now that it's legal in PA.



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_law_in_the_United_States_by_state

[erbear]

I am supposed to be at a coffee with prospective parents for my school but I am actually crying. Must.Compose.

Yay!

[msmerymac]

Someone just struck through the text of the PA statute banning same sex marriage on Wikipedia. Lol. It's like, "Um, updates to follow."

[Velar Fricative]

May 20, 2014 14:26:33 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Someone just struck through the text of the PA statute banning same sex marriage on Wikipedia. Lol. It's like, "Um, updates to follow."

LOL! Now I see a strikethrough through the ban's text.

[redheadbaker]

First license already issue in Philadelphia:

[penguingrrl]

Yay PA!

[Velar Fricative]

PA is great and all for doing this but let's just always remember that the Flyers and Penguins still suck.

[msmerymac]

May 20, 2014 15:05:59 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

PA is great and all for doing this but let's just always remember that the Flyers and Penguins still suck.

The Penguins most of all though, because Sidney Crosby.

[secretlyevil]

nice!

[aurora]

What are the chances of any of these decisions impacting the remaining states?

[msmerymac]

May 20, 2014 16:12:01 GMT -5 aurora said:

What are the chances of any of these decisions impacting the remaining states?

The ACLU has been finding couples and families in many states with SSM bans and suing the states for discrimination, basically, which is why these are all right now working their way through the courts. PA's suit was filed in July of last year, and since May/June is kind of the end of the court season, a lot of rulings are coming through now (similar to SCOTUS), which is likely why a lot have been issued in the past few days.

The more states in the more circuits that overturn the laws, the more precedent there is for ruling that these types of laws are unconstitutional, which is very, very good, because that has to factor into future judges' decisions.

[aurora]

May 20, 2014 16:26:16 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

May 20, 2014 16:12:01 GMT -5 aurora said:

What are the chances of any of these decisions impacting the remaining states?

The ACLU has been finding couples and families in many states with SSM bans and suing the states for discrimination, basically, which is why these are all right now working their way through the courts. PA's suit was filed in July of last year, and since May/June is kind of the end of the court season, a lot of rulings are coming through now (similar to SCOTUS), which is likely why a lot have been issued in the past few days.

The more states in the more circuits that overturn the laws, the more precedent there is for ruling that these types of laws are unconstitutional, which is very, very good, because that has to factor into future judges' decisions.

Excellent!  I was hoping it was something like that.

/kicks dirt about my stupid state still existing in the dark ages on SSM

[Black Lavender]

May 20, 2014 14:44:58 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

First license already issue in Philadelphia:

This gives me goosebumps, such a happy day! Suck it Corbett!

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