Kentucky Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down

A federal judge in Kentucky on Tuesday invalidated the state’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, ruling that same-sex couples have a right to marry. “In America, even sincere and long-hold religious beliefs do not trump the constitutional rights of those who happen to have been out-voted,” U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II wrote. The ruling, which also states that Kentucky must recognize gay marriages performed in other states, is on hold pending the outcome of several cases at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. The state is expected to appeal the ruling.