PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Dozens of gay and lesbian couples are now legally married in Oregon after a judge invalidated the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.
Jubilant couples began applying for marriage licenses immediately after U.S. District Judge Michael McShane issued his ruling Monday, and many were married hours later. In Portland, Multnomah County issued more than 70 licenses, according to the gay-rights group Oregon United for Marriage.
Also Monday, a federal judge in Utah ordered state officials to recognize more than 1,000 gay marriages that took place in the state over a two-week period before the U.S. Supreme Court halted same-sex weddings with an emergency stay.
U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball said the stay put the couples in an unacceptable legal limbo regarding adoptions, child care and custody, medical decisions and inheritance. But he put a 21-day hold on his ruling to allow the state a chance to appeal.
The Oregon decision marks the 13th legal victory for gay marriage advocates since the Supreme Court last year overturned part of a federal ban.
By Susie Madrak
— May 20, 2014
