Law found in violation of U.S. Constitution; Judge declares 'let us look to each other...and rise'...
By Brad Friedman on 5/19/2014, 12:51pm PT  

Constitutionally conservative victories for equal protection under the law are piling up across the country faster than we can note them here!

Moments ago, the latest victory was announced in Oregon, where a federal judge just found [PDF] the state's ban on marriage equality to be in violation of the 14th Amendment...

Because Oregon's marriage laws discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without a rational relationship to any legitimate government interest, the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Well, that was easy. Marriages are expected to begin in the state "almost immediately".

The final paragraph of District Court Judge Michael J. McShane's opinion was particularly thoughtful...

Where will this all lead? I know that many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other...and rise.

If you've had trouble keeping track of all the victories on behalf of marriage equality of late, you're not alone. Here's the most up to date map of equal marriage rights across the U.S., courtesy of Mother Jones. If you go on over to their site, the map itself is interactive, with details about each state that you click on...

Oh, how green is my country (becoming)! Congrats, all people of Oregon!

Still wondering which state will be the last in the nation to stop making a mockery of our federal Constitution. Guesses still welcome in comments below!...

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Article Categories: Oregon, Rights And Freedoms, U.S. Constitution, Marriage Equality