Federal Judge Strikes Down South Dakota Marriage Ban

New York - January 12, 2015 – Today U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier ruled that denying marriage for same-sex couples in South Dakota is unconstitutional. The ruling is stayed, meaning same-sex couples cannot yet receive marriage licenses in South Dakota.

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:

"Today's ruling out of South Dakota affirms what nearly every court in the past year has held: loving and committed same-sex couples are guaranteed the freedom to marry by the U.S. Constitution. Every day of denial is a day of tangible hardships for same-sex couples and their families. The Supreme Court should take up a case as soon as possible and end marriage discrimination once and for all."

In total, virtually every federal and state court has ruled in favor of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples with only one appellate court ruling the other way.

Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.