This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/supreme-court-gay-marriage-ban-oregon

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Supreme court rejects attempt to block same-sex marriage in Oregon Supreme court rejects attempt to block same-sex marriage in Oregon
(35 minutes later)
The US supreme court has refused to halt a federal judge's order declaring Oregon's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The US supreme court on Wednesday refused to halt same-sex weddings in Oregon after a federal judge declared the state's ban unconstitutional. A federal appeals court is considering whether a group opposed to gay marriage can intervene in the case.
The court issued an order Wednesday declining to block any new same-sex unions in the state while a federal appeals court considers whether an anti-gay marriage group can intervene in the case. The order follows an emergency appeal by the National Organization for Marriage that seeks to overturn US district judge Michael McShane's 19 May ruling that declared Oregon's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The group had unsuccessfully tried to intervene in the lower court proceeding after Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum declined to defend the same-sex ban.
The order follows an emergency appeal by the National Organization for Marriage that seeks to overturn the May 19 ruling of US district judge Michael McShane. The group had unsuccessfully tried to intervene in the lower court proceeding after Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum declined to defend the same-sex ban. The group filed its request with Justice Anthony Kennedy and he referred it to the full court, which denied the request without comment.
Hundreds of same-sex Oregon couples have obtained marriage licenses since McShane's order. Hundreds of same-sex couples in Oregon have obtained marriage licenses since McShane's order.
The group filed its request with Justice Anthony Kennedy and he referred it to the full court. The Oregon case differs from others where the justices have blocked same-sex unions while appeals work their way through the courts. In Oregon, the appeal is focused on whether an outside group can intervene in the case, not on the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban. The state has said it will not appeal McShane's ruling and had asked the justices to refuse the request.
More soon … "We are delighted that the court has rejected NOM's attempt to derail marriage equality in Oregon," said David Fidanque, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, which represented two of the four gay and lesbian couples who challenged the marriage ban. "We are confident that marriage equality in Oregon will help pave the way for marriage equality nationwide."