Judge officially strikes down Nebraska’s gay marriage ban
A federal judge has officially struck down the state of Nebraska’s same-sex marriage ban.
The ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions was struck down by US District Judge Joseph Bataillon, mainly as a formality.
The US Supreme Court issued a ruling last summer which legalised same-sex marriage across all 50 US states.
However Bataillon’s injunction ensures that all same-sex couples are treated the same as straight couples.
This means there is no doubt that for marriage certificates and birth certificates, same-sex couples have the same rights as their straight counterparts.
Officials for the state had argued that the ruling was unnecessary since Nebraska had complied with the Supreme Court ruling.
However several gay and lesbian couples argued that the state had refused to recognise their children on birth certificates, meaning the injunction was necessary.
