WASHINGTON — In a move that may signal
the inevitability of a nationwide right to same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court
on Monday let stand appeals court rulings allowing such unions in five states.
The development, a major surprise,
cleared the way for same-sex marriages in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and
Wisconsin. Officials in Virginia announced that marriages would start at 1 p.m.
on Monday.
The decision to let the appeals court
rulings stand, which came without explanation in a series of brief orders, will
almost immediately increase the number of states allowing same-sex marriage
from 19 to 24, along with the District of Columbia. The impact of the move will
in short order be even broader.
Monday’s orders let stand decisions
from three federal appeals courts with jurisdiction over six other states that
ban same-sex marriage: Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West
Virginia and Wyoming. Those appeals courts will almost certainly follow their
own precedents to strike down those additional bans as well, meaning the number
of states with same-sex marriage should soon climb to 30.
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