Recently, the Supreme Court issued a hold on the U.S. District Court’s decision overturning the ban on same-sex marriages in Utah because of extreme opposition. This ban keeps gay and lesbian citizens of Utah from obtaining marriage licenses. Before the District Court issued this hold, gay and lesbian couples in Utah were pursuing marriage licenses in wake of the Dec. 12 decision from the U.S. District Court to legally distribute marriage licenses to all of its citizens.
“I am personally pro gay marriage, and I believe it was wrong of the Supreme Court to insert themselves into the matters of state law in the first place,” said sophomore Gil Abadi.
The Mormon-dominated Utah state legislature agreed upon the ban on same-sex marriages back in 2004. When the U.S. District Court’s ruling rescinded the same-sex marriage ban, the state government of Utah did everything it could to put a stop to gay marriage including appealing the decision and seeking the emergency hold by the U.S. Supreme Court. Trestin Meachan, a Mormon Utah citizen, underwent a hunger strike, refusing to eat until the state stopped giving out marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. The legislature’s decisions fall in line with the The Church of Latter Day Saints’ belief that a traditional marriage is only between a man and a woman. 62% of Utah citizens belong to this church. Utah was previously one of the biggest supporters of California’s Proposition 8, with the most out-of-state economic support to back the proposition.
“If the state governments and the federal government can’t cooperate in legalizing gay marriage, there will only be minimal progress and no real change,” said sophomore Shane Munson.
Between Dec. 12 and Jan. 6, 1,300 same-sex couples were married under state law in Utah. Their rights as couples will not be taken away by the federal government, although the Utah state government is currently trying to revoke their marriage licenses. The final decision of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will determine whether or not marriage licenses will legally be given to same-sex couples in Utah until the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise.
