Supreme Court Opts Not to Hear Gay Marriage Appeals, Marriages Begin in Five States

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Oct 07, 2014

Supreme Court Opts Not to Hear Gay Marriage Appeals, Marriages Begin in Five States

The Supreme Court refused to hear five gay marriage appeals yesterday, a decision that allowed homosexual couples in Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Indiana to marry immediately. 

Virginia became the first southern state to legalize gay marriage. The shift was met with a mixture of praise and criticism

Rev. Nancy Petty of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church said, "I think these kinds of cultural shifts in society and in religion mean that we become a much more accepting, tolerant, diverse community. That's really important, because we have to learn here in the South how to live with our differences, instead of fighting over our differences."

Family Foundation of Virginia president Victoria Cobb expressed a dissenting opinion. Cobb said that voters banned gay marriage; the Supreme Court justices discounted the voice of the people and "left Virginians without a definitive answer."

Six other states that were currently fighting gay marriage bans in appeals courts will also be affected by the Supreme Court’s decision. North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado will likely be the next states to allow homosexual couples to marry. This will bring the number of U.S. states that permit gay marriage from 19 to 30. 

Publication date: October 7, 2014



Supreme Court Opts Not to Hear Gay Marriage Appeals, Marriages Begin in Five States