DETROIT – In a case that highlights the ongoing push for marriage equality in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder announced today that he will not appeal a federal ruling that compelled the state to recognize the marriages of 300 same-sex couples performed after the state’s constitutional ban on marriage equality was overturned.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan last year on behalf of eight couples who wed immediately after a federal decision struck down the state’s ban and before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that decision.
“We’re thankful that the state finally has made the wise choice to acknowledge the vows that these couples made and to recognize the love that these families share,” said Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project. “These marriages were performed at a time when marriage equality was legal. We’re elated that, with the recognition of their marriages, these couples no longer have to live under a dark cloud of confusion and uncertainty.”
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith issued a preliminary injunction that forced the state to recognize couples who were married in March 2014 when Michigan's ban was temporarily lifted. Judge Goldsmith’s decision did not take effect until 21 days after the ruling, however.
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