Legal News
Gay marriage in Kentucky gains foothold with federal judge’s ruling
Andrew Wolfson
The Courier-Journal
courier-journal.com
Feb. 13, 2014
In a ruling that could open the door to gay marriage in Kentucky, a federal judge has struck down the state’s ban on recognizing same-sex unions performed in states where it is legal.
U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II ruled Wednesday that Kentucky’s prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law by treating gays and lesbians “differently in a way that demeans them.”
Ruling in a suit brought by four gay and lesbian couples and their children, Heyburn said that, while “religious beliefs … are vital to the fabric of society … assigning a religious or traditional rationale for a law does not make it constitutional when that law discriminates against a class of people without other reasons.”