On Friday, gay rights activists scored another legal victory in the US when a voter-approved state law banning same-sex marriage has been invalidated by an Arkansas judge. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza said in a written ruling that the ban on gay marriage violates the equal-protection clause of the US Constitution. Piazza's landmark ruling today essentially strike down the 2004 amendment to the state's constitution as well as a statute passed in 1997, USA Today reported.
"Although marriage is not expressly identified as a fundamental right in the Constitution, the United States Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized it as such. This is an unconstitutional attempt to narrow the definition of equality," he wrote. "The exclusion of a minority for no rational reason is a dangerous precedent."
The news outlet said that the ban on same-sex marriage in Arkansas has received overwhelming support from the voting public. On the other hand, state authorities are somewhat cautious about taking sides on the same-sex marriage debate.
Last week, Democrat and state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel expressed his support on same-sex marriage, but has said that it would be defending the ban in court.
McDaniel's spokesman, Aaron Sadler, said Friday after the ruling, "We respect the Court's decision, but, in keeping with the Attorney General's obligation to defend the state constitution, we will appeal. We will request that Judge Piazza issue a stay of his ruling so as not to create confusion or uncertainty about the law while the Supreme Court considers the matter."
USA Today said that because Piazza has given his 13-oage ruling after country clerks had closed shop for the week, marriage license bureaus are expected to be jammed Monday as there has been no stay on the decision.
President of the Human Rights Campaign and an Arkansas native Chad Griffin praised Piazza on his ruling and said, "All across my home state, throughout the South, and around the country, LGBT people and their families are seeking basic respect and dignity. This victory is an essential step on the journey toward full equality for all."
