Tag Archives: Utah

Bilerico tips us to Trestin Meacham’s initial Facebook posting. After explaining the situation to my family, I have decided to pursue the following course of action. After my dinner tonight, I will begin a fast which will not end until all counties in Utah stop issuing marriage licenses and performing marriages for same sex couples. Due to the rogue judge …

The plaintiffs in Utah’s marriage equality case met the 5pm today deadline set by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and filed their opposition to the emergency marriage stay demand made by Gov. Gary Herbert. The brief cites the Windsor case (of course) and also mentions an article by the Salt Lake Tribune which recounts the over 1200 same-sex marriages that …

Evergreen International, the NARTH-affiliated and largest Mormon “ex-gay” group, has shut down and merged with a “softer” group of “ex-gay” nutters that downplays reparative therapy. The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Days after hundreds of gay and lesbian couples swarmed county offices to get Utah marriage licenses, a group originally founded to help Mormons eliminate same-sex attraction closed its doors. Before …

The billboard is on Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City. American Atheists President David Silverman explained in a news release, “Our message is this: If you don’t believe anymore, don’t continue to base your identity in Mormonism. You’re so much more than an ‘ex-Mormon’; you’re an atheist.” The three children were on board with the ad, Monnett says. He says …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Utah made a subtle shift in its arguments in defense of opposite-sex marriage in a stay application to the U.S. Supreme Court filed Tuesday. Gone is any mention of procreation. Instead, the state talks about child-rearing without discussing how children may be produced. Utah argues one reason it is likely to ultimately prevail in reversing …

Source.

The Utah GOP has indicated they’d be willing to spend at least $2M to overturn marriage equality and yesterday the just-appointed state Attorney General posted a help wanted ad for outside counsel. An excerpt: Proposals must include: 1.A statement of qualifications describing the attorney’s appellate experience in the federal courts of appeal, particularly in the U.S. Court of Appeals for …

Read the full filing. UPDATE: Via the Associated Press. In papers filed Tuesday with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the state asked her to overturn court decisions to let the marriages go forward. Sotomayor handles emergency requests from Utah and other Rocky Mountain states. She can act by herself or get the rest of the court involved. Nearly two-thirds of Utah’s 2.8 …

“The truth is, the main reason I’m proposing this is that I just want people to relax. If they know they have their federal religious guarantees in writing, I hope they will just relax. Like Wayne Gretzky said, ‘A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.’ I …

Clip recap: We end the year with big marriage wins in Utah and New Mexico. But those victories could still be overturned. We’ll have the latest on attempts to undo marriage in those states. We’ve also seen some major steps towards equality in Oregon, Ohio, Florida, Arkansas and Illinois. Plus, AFER has date for a hearing in its Virginia case.

From the order: This matter is before the court to set an expedited briefing schedule. The schedule set here overrides the minute entry on the docket dated December 27, 2013. The appellants’ opening brief and appendix shall be filed on or before January 27, 2014. In this regard we strongly encourage the parties to confer on the materials to include …

Utah House Speaker Becky Lockhart (R-Duh) says that the state GOP is willing to spend $2M to fight same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court, if necessary. “We need the best we can get,” House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said after a House GOP leadership meeting Friday with newly named Attorney General Sean Reyes. “He’s coming into this, frankly, in the …

From the Salt Lake Tribune: In the week since a federal judge overturned Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, the number of weddings in the state has skyrocketed, shattering records and accruing thousands of dollars for Utah’s 29 counties. As of close of business Thursday, more than 1,225 marriage licenses had been issued in Utah since last Friday, according to numbers …

Via Memeographs.

Via the Salt Lake Tribune: Following a landmark federal ruling striking down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, the agency that insures tens of thousands of Utah public employees will extend benefits to newly legal spouses. “These are not luxuries … medical treatment and health insurance are among our most basic needs, so it has a direct impact on a lot …

Via press release from the Human Rights Campaign: This afternoon, we learned via a statement from the AG’s office that Utahns may soon be on the hook for millions in legal fees to defend discrimination. According to the statement, an appeal to the Supreme Court will be delayed so that the office can hire and consult with outside counsel, all …

Many had expected Utah to rush their emergency stay request to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor first thing this morning. But not so. The attorney general’s office is working to prepare the appeal to the Supreme Court on the 10th Circuit’s denial of a stay. Due to the necessity of coordination with outside counsel the filing of the appeal may …

Via Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed: The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the state of Utah’s request to stop same-sex couples’ marriages during the appeal of the judge’s ruling that started those marriages on Friday.“Having considered the district court’s decision and the parties’ arguments concerning the stay factors, we conclude that a stay is not warranted,” Judges Jerome Holmes and …

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals gave a deadline of 5PM last night for objections to the stay demanded by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.  Some had expected a ruling first thing this morning and one may still be coming today. In the meantime, two more Utah counties have relented and begun issuing licenses. Yesterday the Cache County clerk’s office had …