Record numbers of marriages take place in Utah following landmark equal marriage ruling
A week after Utah legalised equal marriage – a record number of weddings have taken place in the US state.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports at least 74% of the 1,225 marriage licences issued since last week’s judicial ruling were for same-sex couples.
“It’s been really dramatic,” said Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch. “I would guess on Monday we were seeing 90% same-sex couples. It’s dropping back now to where it’s a lower percentage.”
Salt Lake County had the most marriages in the state. Shattering a previously held record of 85 marriages in a single day. The county handed out 353 licences on Monday.
Since last Friday, Salt Lake County has issued more than 705 certificates, of which at least 90% were for same-sex couples.
The judge ruled last Friday that the state’s equal marriage ban was unconstitutional.
The last remaining counties, Box Elder, Utah, Piute and San Juan, ended their opposition to marrying same-sex couples and announced they would be complying with the judgment yesterday.
On Monday, Republican Governor Gary Herbert said Judge Shelby’s ruling had resulted in “a lot of chaos”.
State lawyers plan to take the case to the US Supreme Court.
“The Attorney General’s Office is preparing an application to the United States Supreme Court requesting a stay of the district court’s order,” the Utah Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.
It could take a year for a stay to be granted or for the case to reach the court.
