Michigan Gay-Marriage Ban Quashed Friday March 21,2014

A US federal judge has struck down a ban on gay marriage in the state of Michigan.

Two Detroit-area nurses successfully argued that the ban violated their rights under the US constitution

The case was brought two years ago by partners Jayne Rowse(49) and April DeBoer(42) who want to get married.

April DeBoer, left, and Jayne Rowse, right, at home with their adopted children in Michigan

 

"Many Michigan residents have religious convictions whose principles govern the conduct of their daily lives and inform their own viewpoints about marriage," US District Judge Bernard Friedman wrote in Friday's decision.
"Nonetheless, these views cannot strip other citizens of the guarantees of equal protection under the law."


Note
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia currently issue licences for same-sex marriage.

Bans on gay marriage have been quashed in recent months in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma and Virginia, though appeals have put those cases on hold.