Republican-appointed Judge Favors Freedom to Marry in Kentucky

July 1, 2014 marks the day Republican-appointed federal judge John G. Heybum II declared that banning same-sex couples the freedom to marry in the state of Kentucky is unconstitutional.

Back in February, the same judge ruled the state of Kentucky must honor same-sex marriages that were legally ordained outside of the state. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to continue to review that case on August 6, 2014.

Freedom to Marry President, Evan Wolfson, said the government should not refuse the opportunity to marry for same-sex couples.

“Today a Republican-appointed federal judge in Kentucky held – as have more than 20 other judges and as did the U.S. Supreme Court last year – that discriminatory state marriage bans are unconstitutional,” Wolfson said in a press release. “It is wrong for the government to deny same-sex couples the freedom to marry the person they love; a freedom that is part of every American's liberty and pursuit of happiness.”

This is the 23 consecutive ruling in the past year that favors marriage equality, including several Southern states such as Virginia, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Photo from freedomtomarry.org

By Kaitlynn Moquet

Kaitlynn Moquet is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Communication Arts and Psychology. She loves to travel and is a major foodie who is willing to go the distance to find the next best restaurant.

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