Conservatives balk at gay marriage action
Published 10:17 am Wednesday, October 8, 2014
WICHITA, Kan. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear appeals on same-sex marriage bans is spawning diverging responses in the states indirectly affected by the move.
Conservative states such as Kansas and Wyoming are for now refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. In more liberal outposts such as Colorado, gay marriage is officially legal.
Officials in the conservative states acknowledge they’ll have to reassess once legal challenges directly target their distinct state bans. For instance, South Carolina’s attorney general said if a court specifically rules against its gay marriage ban, he’ll then decide how to proceed.
In the meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union and other gay rights advocates are assembling their legal teams and planning for the lawsuits to provide those specific challenges.