LANSING – As a federal judge in Detroit is preparing to rule in the case of April DeBoer, et al, v. Richard Snyder, et al, at least two Michigan county clerks say they are ready to offer same-sex marriage licenses should the case find Michigan's Marriage Amendment is unconstitutional.
"I, too, am preparing to marry all loving couples to each other," says Barbara Byrum, Ingham County Clerk. She says she has been in contact with legal counsel as well as "other county clerks" about the potential impacts of a ruling in DeBoer.
Byrum says she expects to be able to offer marriage licenses "immediately," and that she, herself, is prepared to perform marriage ceremonies.
She notes, however, that even if Judge Bernard Friedman does strike down Michigan's laws and constitutional amendment as unconstitutional, the state government is expected to request a stay of the ruling. A stay would hold the ruling until higher courts have had an opportunity to review the case and issue rulings.
"I would expect the Attorney General's Office to file a stay if the court rules it's unconstitutional," Byrum, a former state lawmaker said. "If a stay is not filed, I will immediately begin offering marriages to all loving couples."
California's Proposition 8 underwent a similar journey when a San Francisco federal judge ruled the amendment was unconstitutional. That decision was stayed until review by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and when that court concluded the original decision was correct, its decision was stayed until a review by the Supreme Court of the United States. That case was determined nearly one week ago, with the high court ruling that supporters of the law had no standing in court. That cleared the way for California to once again offer same-sex nuptials, and even a last minute appeal to the high court on Saturday resulted in a denial of standing and paved the way for every county in California to offer marriage to same-sex couples.
Ingham is not alone. At a rally celebrating the Supreme Court rulings last week, officials from the Wastenaw County Clerk's office distributed a document announcing intentions to host a marriage equality celebration if Friedman strikes down Michigan's marriage ban.
A decision by Friedman could come as soon as July 10.
Mich. Counties Prepare To Offer Same-sex Marriage
Read More
Michigan's Trans Migration Project Is Helping to Protect Trans People Just By Getting Them Somewhere Safe
A faith-based collective of partners across Michigan is shepherding out-of-state trans people to Michigan for the gender-affirming care and affirmation they [...]
Go Girl! Saugatuck Celebrates Women’s Weekend at Nation’s Largest Gay Resort
Women hearing the siren call of Lake Michigan may want to mark May 31-June 2 on their calendars. Those are the days that the largest gay resort in the country [...]
Michigan Democratic Party LGBT and Allies Caucus Holds Spring Meeting
One of the most often derided cliches of political journalism is to say “a lot is at stake in this election” but it is quite literally true this [...]
Why So Many Local Queer Folks Are Flocking to Mishpacha, Temple Beth Emeth’s Thriving LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Ari Smith was a little worried when her rabbi called to ask her about something he was noticing in her part of the sanctuary during weekly services at Temple [...]
Why a Local Academic Is Fostering Queer Discussion and Community Through an Old-Fashioned Book Club
Queer books on public library shelves have come under fire across the country in recent years, but you wouldn’t know it at the Ypsilanti District Library [...]
Biden-Harris Campaign Launches LGBTQ+ Voter Initiative at Affirmations — How You Can Get Involved in the 2024 Election
The election season is officially heating up in Michigan, with a special focus on queer voters. On April 10, local and statewide community leaders and elected [...]
