The US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage.
The decision could set the case on a path to the US Supreme Court.
We have more from The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta.
The appeals court panel split two-to-one on the decision. It reverses a Detroit federal judge’s ruling that the ban violates equal protection rights.
The majority opinion says American society is becoming more accepting of same-sex relationships, and it appears same-sex marriages will eventually be allowed all across the country. But, it says, that should be worked out in the political process, not imposed by the courts. It says “… We must keep in mind that something can be fundamentally important without being a fundamental right under the Constitution.”
The plaintiffs seeking the right to marry, April DeBoer and Jayne Rouse, have said in the past, if they lose, they will appeal their case to the US Supreme Court.