Dozens of gay couples in Oregon flocked to local magistrate offices to obtain their marriage certificates and perform quick ceremonies in the hours after a U.S. District judge ruled that a voter-approved ban on same-sex weddings was unconstitutional.
In Multnomah County alone, clerks gave out more than 70 licenses, The Associated Press reported, citing statistics provided by the Oregon United for Marriage gay rights group.
Oregon is just the latest in a handful of states to find through court rulings that voter-backed and legislative bans on gay marriages are unconstitutional. Among the other states: Utah and New Mexico.
The AP reported that gays can now legally wed in 17 states, including the District of Columbia.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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