US: South Carolina won’t stop supporting the state’s same-sex marriage ban
South Carolina will continue to fight for the state’s same-sex marriage ban even though a federal appeals court with jurisdiction over the state ruled Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional on Monday.
A spokesperson for South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said South Carolina’s gay marriage ban is still intact despite the ruling.
He also said the Attorney General has no plans to change his course of action in support of the ban, stating the Supreme Court will ultimately have rule on the issue.
The 2-1 decision came from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, which has jurisdiction over Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
South Carolina Equality executive director Ryan Wilson released a statement regarding the ruling, saying: “Today’s Fourth Circuit ruling is exciting for the thousands of legally married same-sex couples in South Carolina who are anxiously waiting for the day when South Carolina will recognize our marriages.
“Additionally, today’s ruling gives hope to thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Carolinians who want to be able to say ‘I do’ in their home state and not have to travel to some other part of the United States just to be able to marry the person they love.”
The state’s 2006 voter-approved ban was first challenged in August 2013 by a same-sex couple seeking recognition for their out-of-state marriage.
