Ten years ago, same-sex marriage was banned everywhere in the United States. Today, there are now 19 states (and D.C.) where that ban is no longer existent, and as of last week, Pennsylvania is now one of them. Federal judge John E. Jones struck down our state’s ban on same-sex marriage, ruling it unconstitutional under the 14^th amendment.

In regards to the ruling, Jones remarked, “In future generations, the label same-sex marriage will be abandoned, to be replaced simply by marriage. We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history.”

This ruling is the next in a line of rulings banning same-sex marriages in many states, most recently Oregon.

Directly after the ruling was announced, courts all over Pennsylvania began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But Montgomery County had to wait until another ruling from July 2013 against the Register of Wills Bruce Hanes banning him from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples because he began doing so last year.

But now that ban has been lifted, and as of Wednesday, one week after the federal court’s ruling, Montgomery County can now take full advantage of this ruling, adding Montgomery County to the list of places of marriage equality.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/us/pennsylvania-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

http://www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20140521/montgomery-county-still-unable-to-issue-same-sex-marriage-licenses