Gay marriage in kentucky

Ky. moves quickly to adopt gay marriage ruling

In a historic ruling reshaping the definition of the American family, the Supreme Court on Friday invalidated bans on same-sex marriage in Kentucky and across the country, holding that gays and lesbians have the constitutional right to marry.

The court ruled that states must grant same-sex couples licenses to marry and recognize such marriages performed in other states.

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the queer marriage bans worked "a grave and continuing harm" against gays and lesbians and disrespected them.

"Their wish is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions," he said for the court. "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the commandment. The Constitution grants them that right."

The court reversed last November's ruling in which the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals upheld bans on gay marriage in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

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The decision is a victory for six lgbtq+ and lesbian couples from Kentucky and reinst

LGBTQ Legal Rights in Kentucky: What You Need to Know

Kentucky does not currently have a comprehensive statewide law that protects LGBTQ people from discrimination. This means that a person can still be fired, denied housing, or refused service simply because of whom they love or how they identify. 

Nonetheless, as of January 5, , the obeying municipalities have passed local ordinances banning LGBTQ discrimination, either for sexual orientation or gender self, in employment, housing, and public accommodation:

  • City of Bellevue
  • City of Cold Spring
  • City of Covington
  • City of Danville
  • City of Dayton
  • City of Fort Thomas
  • City of Frankfort
  • City of Georgetown
  • City of Henderson
  • City of Highland Heights
  • City of Lexington
  • City of Louisville
  • City of Maysville
  • City of Midway
  • City of Morehead
  • City of Newport
  • City of Paducah
  • City of Versailles
  • City of Vicco
  • Lexington-Fayette County
  • Louisville-Jefferson County
  • Woodford County

Kentucky LGBT Rights at a Glance

Discrimination:Dependent on context
Adoption:Single-parent adoption only unless

The Freedom to Marry in Kentucky

Winning Marriage:June 26,

The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the freedom to commit nationwide on June 26, , allowing all same-sex couples in Kentucky the ability to join once and for all. The decision followed nearly two years of marriage litigation in the state and was issued in a case that originated in Kentucky.

History and the Path to Victory:

  • November 9, The Kentucky Court of Appeals rules in Jones v. Hallahan that marriages should be restricted to different-sex couples.
  • July 15, The Kentucky Legislature passes a state statute restricting marriage to different-sex couples.  
  • November Opponents of the autonomy to marry in Kentucky urge through Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1, a constitutional amendment denying gay couples the freedom to join and any other legal family status. The amendment cements clearly discriminatory language into the Kentucky Constitution.
  • As Americans nationwide hire in conversations about why marriage matters, national and local advocates in Kentucky take stri

    Six years of love: Kentucky's role in legalizing homosexual marriage

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. — June 26 marks six years since same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states.


    What You Need To Know

    • June 26, marks six years since same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states

    • Two Kentucky cases played a crucial role in the landmark ruling

    • Bourke v. Beshear sought recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions and Adoration v. Beshear sought the right to marry

    • Kentucky’s plaintiffs went to Washington, D.C. when the case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn all state bans on same-sex marriage, and to recognize same-sex unions on the same terms as the marriages of opposite-sex couples.

    It marks a joyous day for Kim Franklin and Tammy Boyd-Franklin; the Shelby County couple’s out-of-state marriage finally received the recognition from Kentucky they’d been fighting to acquire. They were among the plaintiffs in Bourke v. Beshear, a Kentucky civil rights case seeking recognition of their same-sex marriage from other jurisd