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A bearded drag queen winning an international singing competition. Same-Sex marriage in a deep red state. Michael Sam's kiss. To many people, this will simply sound like touching stories from time marching onward in the year 2014. But for those Americans who are vehemently opposed to gay rights, the following are the lowlights of a very bad weekend.
Friday: A Court in Arkansas Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage.
paperwork for a marriage license at the Pulaski County
Courthouse in Little Rock, Ark.
Surprise! Late on Friday, Arkansas (at least temporarily) became the 18th state to legalize same-sex marriage, with a state court order overturning a voter-approved ban that was passed a decade ago. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza wrote in his decision that "the exclusion of a minority for no rational reason is a dangerous precedent," placing his ruling in line with an avalanche of court rulings in favor of marriage equality over the past year.
The state will appeal, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced over the weekend. (McDaniel personally supports marriage equality, but has vowed to defend his state's laws as Attorney General.) But by Saturday morning, couples were already marrying in the state, at least in some counties. A few county clerks, including from counties named in the suit, are not issuing licenses to same sex couples at this time.
Meet the 1st #gay couple married in #Arkansas! Their witness was Cheryl Maples, lawyer whose case brought down ban. pic.twitter.com/jxGXcL2ZHI
— South 4 Marriage (@South4Marriage) May 10, 2014
have found state recognition of their marriages "on hold" pending a decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Michigan has followed suit, also refusing to recognize the marriages of 300 couples who married during a 7-hour window earlier this year.