This morning, the US Supreme Court denied the South Carolina Attorney General’s request for a stay on a federal judge’s ruling that the state’s ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. As a result, same-sex marriages in South Carolina will be legal starting today insuring marriage equality.
In a brief order, the Supreme Court denied the request of an emergency stay but noted that Justices Scalia and Thomas would have granted the stay, which would have prevented same-sex marriages from occurring until further action by the Court.
Some counties in South Carolina began issuing same-sex marriage licenses yesterday, and there were reports of some same-sex weddings despite the temporary stay on the federal judge’s ruling. With the Supreme Court’s decision this morning, it is now clear that the ruling striking down South Carolina’s same-sex marriage ban will take effect today and same-sex marriages will be legal in that state.
For the latest updates and a discussion of the impact of marriage equality on your life, Sodoma Law invites you to come to our December 1st discussion panel, “Same-Sex Marriage: Planning Your Family’s Future In A Marriage Equality State.” The event is free and open to the public. Click here for further details.