MONTGOMERY, Ala —
A federal judge on Thursday ruled that gays and lesbians have the right to marry in all Alabama counties, but placed her decision on hold until the U.S Supreme Court weighs in on same-sex marriage this summer.
U.S District Judge Callie Granade, as she has before, ruled that Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. And this time, she forbade all probate judges from enforcing it. But her decision to stay the order until the high court rules means the ban will essentially remain in place for now.
That didn’t stop groups from cheering the ruling as a victory, however, in a state that spent much of the early part of this year in a legal war over the issue.
“Judge Granade’s new order means that very soon, no probate judge in the state will be able to deny a marriage license to any qualified same-sex couple,” said Southern Poverty Law Center deputy legal director David Dinielli. “This is the right result for Alabama families and it is the one the United States Constitution commands.”