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Judge halts gay marriages
21/04/2004 07:19 - (SA)
Portland, Oregon - A judge on Tuesday halted same-sex marriages at an Oregon county that was the last US jurisdiction still issuing licenses to gays and lesbians.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Frank Bearden ordered a halt in gay marriages until the state's Supreme Court rules on the issue, but he also said the marriages that have already taken place are valid.
The county, where the state's largest city of Portland is located, was the last place in the United States issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples while courts around the nation consider the issue.
Across the country, the state of Massachusetts is set to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples next month, following a court ruling there.
The Defence of Marriage Coalition, which had argued to the Oregon judge that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, welcomed the ruling.
Victory for gay rights
But a top county official in this Pacific northwest state considered the ruling a victory for gay rights.
"Today the Circuit Court ruled very clearly that denying marriages to same-sex couples violates the Oregon Constitution," Multnomah County commission chairperson Diane Linn said. "This ruling validates (the) county's position of defending equality under the Oregon Constitution."
"My oath to uphold the constitution led me to ensuring marriage equality seven weeks ago" on March 3, Linn said in a statement.
About three thousand licenses were issued to same-sex couples, she said, adding that the judge ordered the state to "fully honour" them.
"Today is an historic day for marriage equality in Oregon, but is just one step in a judicial process that will ultimately be decided by the Oregon Supreme Court," Linn said.
An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union also hailed the judge's ruling.
Historic
"This is historic," attorney Ken Choe said. "Oregon is the first state in the country to recognise the marriages of gay and lesbian couples."
"This is a truly historic day for all of the lesbian and gay people of Oregon, but especially for the three thousand couples who have already married here," said Roey Thorpe, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon.
"While you already know in your hearts that you are married, an Oregon court has just taken a giant step toward making sure the state treats your marriage just like all other marriages," Thorpe said.
Judges have stopped gay marriages in San Francisco, the town of New Paltz in New York state and Sandoval county in New Mexico.
More than four thousand gay couples married in San Francisco between February and March, when the California Supreme Court ordered the city to stop issuing licenses to same-sex couples.
- AFP
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