Appeals Court Suspends Gay Marriage Ruling

Hundreds of couples flocked to various Michigan county clerk’s offices Saturday to obtain marriage licenses before an appeals court issued a stay temporarily suspending future marriages among gay couples. U.S. district Judge Bernard Friedman overturned Michigan’s ban on gay marriage and same-sex adoption Friday, but the ruling was issued after most county clerks offices had closed for the day. However, hundreds of couples were able to get married before the stay was issued. Governor Rick Snyder’s office says state agencies will not immediately recognize those marriages performed in the hours before the appeals court issued a stay on the ruling that tossed out the same-sex marriage ban. The ruling by Judge Friedman stems from a lawsuit filed by two Detroit-area nurses. Their lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of the laws banning gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.