By Eishna Ranganathan
News Editor
On May 21, Judge John E. Jones III lifted the ban on same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania, placed in 1996, granting all couples legal authorization and official recognition of the alliance, making Pa. the nineteenth state to do so. In the case, called Whitewood vs. Wolf, the plaintiffs argued that excluding a specific type of couple directly contradicts the Constitution.
The case stated that Pennsylvania law violated the right of marriage to every citizen since it did not recognize same-sex marriage from other states or allow the union to occur within the state. Disallowing the marriage would prelude the couple from receiving certain legal and monetary rights.
They argued that one couple could not be subordinate to the other due to sexual orientation.
If any appeal will be made by Gov. Tom Corbett’s legal team, they have 30 days to finalize their decision, but the Republican decided to not take counteraction. This means that the verdict of the case holds effective and no appeal can be made by others, according to Witold Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties’ Union of Pennsylvania.
“Now that it’s legalized before I have to marry is like a blessing. I don’t have to worry about it, unlike just a few weeks ago, since I am gay. I felt really relieved since I don’t have to fight for it when I am older,” said Joey Joyce, sophomore and member of Spectrum, Neshaminy’s gay-straight alliance.
Corbett does not approve of same-sex marriage due to his Roman Catholic background but decided not to mix his political and personal views on the issue: “I will ensure that my administration follows the provisions of Judge Jones’ order with respect for all parties. It is my hope that as the important issue of same-sex relationships continues to be addressed in our society, that all involved be treated with respect,” he said.
Some other states like, Utah and Montana, continue to enforce the ban with strong support while others such as Idaho, Kentucky and Massachusetts still have pending cases with couples waiting for resolve. Yet a few states like California and Maine have undone the ban and publicly allow all forms of marriage. IL has ratified same-sex marriage on June 1 as well.
