Arkansas Judge Orders State to Respect Legal Marriages of Same-Sex Couples

New York- June 9, 2015 – Today Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen ruled in favor of respecting the marriages of the over 500 same-sex couples who were married in the "window" of the freedom to marry in Arkansas in 2014.

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

"Today Judge Griffen joins more than 65 federal and state courts across America that have found that denying same-sex couples the freedom to marry or equal respect for their marriages violates the U.S. Constitution. But too many other couples are still being denied the freedom to marry and full respect and equality under the law, in Arkansas and other states. It's time for the Supreme Court to do what courts and the super-majority of Americans have done: affirm the freedom to marry for all, bringing an end to marriage discrimination throughout the land, leaving no family and no state out."

A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on marriage is expected by the end of this month. 63% of Americans agree that the freedom to marry is a constitutional right that should not be denied to gay couples, according to the latest CNN/ORC poll. Same-sex couples can currently marry in nearly three-fourths of the country.

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.