Gay couples wed in Utah after judge overturns ban.

The article can be found here.

   Just yesterday Salt Lake began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. The U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby has declared Utah's voter-approved ban on gay marriage unconstitutional saying that the ban violates the constitutional rights of gay couples and ruled that Utah failed to show that allowing same-sex marriages would affect opposite-sex marriages in any way. This doesn't mean that everyone is on board with this recent change. Utah Governor Gary Herbert said, "I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah." Soon after the ruling, the state filed both a notice of appeal of the ruling and a request for an emergency stay that would stop marriage licenses from being issued to same-sex couples. Though the LDS church do not support this ruling, a group called Mormons for Equality applauded it. The group has been among the leaders of growing movement among Mormons to push the church to teach that homosexuality isn't a sin. If this ruling stands, Utah would become the 18th state to legalize gay marriages.

   I think that this is absolutely fantastic. I never thought I would see a day where Utah becomes accepting enough to allow gay marriage. Although it is still banned here in Utah County, acceptance of same sex marriage in Salt Lake is still a HUGE step even though the state is currently trying to fight it. But with the way gears are turning, I think that complete acceptance here is closer than it may appear. Of course there are activists here in Utah who openly support gay marriage, but even many members of the LDS church who do not support same sex marriage do feel that we do not have a right to deny these couples a legal marriage license. We are definitely one step closer to greater acceptance here in the United States. Within the next 15 years, it is very possible that we will see same sex marriage legalized in every part of the United States and we will see that all of this hate and fear is completely silly. Love is nothing to fear.