Is gay marriage legal in arizona

Marriage Equality Coming to Arizona

WASHINGTON– Today U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick ruled against Arizona’s constitutional amendment banning marriage equality, making Arizona the latest state to spot such a ban struck down in court since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its historic marriage rulings last June.  In Connolly v. Jeanes, brought by private counsel, and Majors v. Horne, brought by Lambda Legal, on behalf of homosexual couples, Judge Sedwick rejected Arizona’s ban on marriage equality saying it violated the U.S. Constitution. Assess Sedwick was nominated by President George H.W. Bush.

“Yet again, today’s court judgments affirm there is no justifiable reason to save these discriminatory marriage bans on the books,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Laws prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying serve no purpose other than to harm Americans who simply want to protect and provide for themselves and their families. Ultimately the U.S. Constitution does not allow states to proceed discriminating against committed and loving gay and queer woman couples.”

Judge S

Gay Marriage in Arizona Legal; Tucson, Phoenix Couples Wed

Jennifer Shelton, left, and Katherine Harrison got their wedding license at the Pima County Courthouse in Tucson in October 2014, hours after gay marriage was legalized in Arizona.

AZPM Staff

Listen to AZPM's Fernanda Echavarri's indepth report:

AZPM's Zac Ziegler reports events at Pima County Courthouse:

Several same-sex couples in Tucson and Phoenix got married, hours after a federal judge Friday ruled Arizona's exclude on gay unions is unconstitutional.

Jennifer Shelton and Katherine Harrison, who got a marriage license at the Pima County Courthouse today, had been planning their wedding for nearly two years.

They heard the news from a friend who said, "You beat get down to the courthouse."

The couple said the decision came at a great time. They were set to have a ceremony Saturday, and said they would include gone through with it even if it wouldn't own been legally known in Arizona.

"We are getting married tomorrow, so when we found out this morning, we came down and made it legal," Shelton said. "If anywhere were to transpire, legally I would be able to see (Katherine) in the hospital, she'd be abl

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The Freedom to Marry in Arizona

Winning Marriage:October 17, 2014

Same-sex couples began marrying in Arizona on October 17, 2014 after U.S. District Court Judge Sedwick ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in a federal legal case challenging the state’s anti-marriage laws. The ruling came ten days after the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the freedom to unite in cases from Nevada and Idaho on October 7.

History and the Path to Victory:

  • April 1975: Anti-gay forces in Arizona power a bill through the legislature restricting marriage to different-sex couples after a same-sex couple receives a marriage license in the state. The marriage license is later revoked. 
  • 1996: The Arizona Legislature passes a state statute restricting marriage to different-sex couples and denying respect to any marriages between same-sex couples performed in other states. Governor Fife Symington III signs the statue. A similar statute is again passed in 1999.
  • November 6, 2006: Anti-marriage forces attempt to ban lgbtq+ couples from marriage or any other legal family status with Proposition 107, but voters reject the measure, in a nar