U.S. judge overturns Idaho ban on gay marriage

A U.S. federal judge struck down Idaho's ban on gay marriage on Tuesday, saying it relegated same-sex couples to a second-class status in violation of constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law.

The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale was the latest in a string of decisions by federal judges against state bans on same-sex matrimony that, if upheld by higher courts, would sharply broaden access to marriage for U.S. gay couples.

Dale said her decision would go into effect on Friday at 9 a.m. local time, unless put on hold by a higher court.

Marriage rights have been extended to gay couples in 17 states and the District of Columbia in a trend that has gained momentum since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that legally married same-sex couples nationwide are eligible for federal benefits.

That decision, which struck down part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, has been cited by a number of federal judges, including Dale, in subsequent opinions overturning state bans on gay matrimony.

The Idaho lawsuit was brought in November by two lesbian couples whose out-of-state marriages were invalid in Idaho and two couples who sought to be married in Idaho but were denied licenses. The lawsuit named Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter and Ada County Clerk Chris Rich as defendants.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/14/us-usa-idaho-gaymarriage-idUSBREA4D00Y20140514