Another gay marriage ban has been ruled unconstitutional in Missouri creating a surge of gay & lesbian couples to apply for marriage licenses in that state. Circuit Judge Rex Burlison stated in a written ruling that Missouri's measure recognizing marriage only between a man & woman violates the due process & equal protection rights of the U.S. Constitution. What makes this decision different from previous decisions in other states is Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster who immediately appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court said that his office wouldn't seek a stay of the order since the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant stays after gay & lesbian marriage decisions in Idaho & Alaska. So marriage licenses are now available for gay & lesbian couples in St. Louis. As marriage equality becomes the law in more & more US states we can’t help but wonder with the shift in power in the now GOP controlled US Senate & House how this is going to effect other issues that face our LGBT community like workplace discrimination, housing & especially transgender issues. As disheartening as midterm elections appear for the USA all we can really do is hope that 2 years of Republican domination should stagnate this country into possibly getting back on a progressive track in 2016.
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Yeah Missouri....one more equality state that is heartening in light of some big disappointments in the elections.
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