Equality Virginia Celebrates 4th Circuit Court of Appeal’s Ruling that Virginia’s Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional

Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, [email protected], 804-643-4816; 202-957-6611 July 28, 2014 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In a 2-1 decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit today ruled in Bostic v. Schaefer that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.  The decision will not take effect for 21 days, and is likely to be stayed within that time frame.  As such, while this is another large step toward marriage equality in Virginia, same-sex couples are not yet able to be married in the Commonwealth. “Today in the Commonwealth of Virginia, love and fairness won.  A federal appeals court ruled what the majority of Virginians already know - marriage is a fundamental freedom that should not be denied to lesbian and gay couples regardless of what state they call home,” said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.  “While we won’t hear wedding bells today, we are still one step closer – in Virginia, the south, and America - to recognizing and celebrating equality and the diversity of love, commitment, and family.” This case, or a similar one, will likely be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, with a possible ruling in 2015.  Until then, it is unlikely that same-sex couples will be able to get married in Virginia.

###

Equality Virginia is a statewide, non-partisan education, outreach, and advocacy organization seeking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Virginians.  Since 1989, EV has worked to end discrimination, protect families and build safe communities.  More information is online at EqualityVirginia.org.  Connect on Facebook.com/EqualityVA or Twitter @EqualityVA.