DETROIT (AP) — A judge has struck down Michigan’s ban on gay marriage, the latest in a series of decisions overturning similar laws across the country.
Federal Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Friday, two weeks after a trial. Two Detroit-area nurses who’ve been partners for eight years claimed the ban violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution.
It was not clear if gay marriages could begin immediately.
Nearly 60 percent of state voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage only as between a man and a woman.
Attorneys for Michigan urged the judge to respect the will of voters. Scholars testifying for Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer said there were no differences between children raised by same-sex couples and those raised by a man and a woman.