A U.S. district judge ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional on Tuesday, making it the latest state to see such a ban struck down by a federal court.
Judge Terence Kern stayed his ruling, meaning that it would not go into effect right away in order to allow for an appeal if the state opts to file one. Kern decided to stay the ruling following a similar decision in Utah last month, where a federal court’s ruling is currently on hold while the state appeals the ruling to the Supreme Court. During the brief period in which same-sex couples could wed in Utah, more than 1,000 couples did so; the Obama administration said it will recognize those unions as the Supreme Court deliberates.
The Oklahoma case, Bishop v. Oklahoma, was filed by two couples in the state in 2004.