Alabama judges began issuing same-sex marriage certificates Monday, after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not stop the marriages.
U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade ruled Alabama’s legal and constitutional same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional in January, and ordered the state to begin recognizing same-sex marriages Feb. 8. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange asked for a hold on Granade’s rulings until the final Supreme Court ruling.
Early Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Granade’s deadline, effectively ordering Alabama to begin issuing the certificates, reported The New York Times.
Judges began issuing the certificates Monday, in defiance of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Late Sunday, Moore ordered Alabama judges not to issue same-sex marriage certificates. (RELATED: Alabama Chief Justice Defies Gay Marriage)
The direct order was a follow-up to an earlier memo outlining his opinion that Alabama is not under the jurisdiction of any federal court, except the U.S. Supreme Court, and therefore urging Alabama judges not to uphold Granade’s ruling.
“While my disagreement with Judge Granade’s orders in the cases attacking Alabama marriage law has been criticized as ‘religious,’ ‘defiant,’ and ‘unethical,’ my actions are entirely consistent with my responsibility as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court,” he wrote.
Couples were lining up at Alabama court houses Monday. “I want to thank everyone for finally giving us the chance to live our life like everybody else,” Joe Babin, who was waiting to marry Clay Jones, told The New York Times.
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