Eric T. Schneiderman
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement regarding the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States declining to review seven lower-court decisions that struck down same-sex marriage bans in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The result of the Supreme Court denying certiorari for these cases is that temporary stays are immediately lifted on decisions striking down same-sex marriage in those states, allowing same-sex marriages to go forward as soon as each court of appeals issues its mandate.
“This is a joyous day for same-sex couples in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin, and for believers in equality everywhere. These five states will now join New York and 18 other states, plus the District of Columbia, in extending marriage equality to LGBT couples who have waited far too long. Moreover, this may open the door to marriage equality for other states in the Fourth, Seventh, and 10th Circuits as well. The families whose relationships will now be formally recognized by their respective states through marriage have not only gained legal rights, but have shed the unjust stigma that comes with being victims of legally sanctioned discrimination. As my office has argued many times in both state and federal courts, there is no excuse for denying same-sex couples equal protection under the law, and I look forward to the day when marriage equality becomes the law of the land in all 50 states.”
AG Schneiderman has long been committed to advancing marriage equality. He filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court last year in United States v. Windsor, successfully arguing that the Defense of Marriage Act violated the U.S. Constitution.
He also successfully defended New York’s Marriage Equality Act from legal challenge in New York State’s highest court. On October 23, 2012, the New York State Court of Appeals sided with A.G. Schneiderman’s office in rejecting a challenge to the Marriage Equality Act.
To file a complaint related to discrimination based on sexual orientation contact: the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau at 212-416-8250 or [email protected]
