KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal judge has ordered Kansas to allow same-sex couples to marry, but he delayed enforcement of the order until next week to give the state time to appeal.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday barring the state from enforcing its constitutional ban starting at 5 p.m. on Nov. 11, pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging it.
“We’re just very excited. It’s about time that marriage equality comes to Kansas,” said Kail Marie, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the state.
When FOX 4’s Sean McDowell asked her if she thought it would eventually go before the highest court in the land, she said she expected that.
“I think Kansas, and the AG is going to use every resource to fight this. So, yes, I could see it going there.”
The American Civil Liberties Union sued to overturn Kansas’ ban after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five states seeking to save their gay marriage bans. Among them were Oklahoma and Utah, which are in the same appeals court circuit as Kansas.
The ACLU says denying the couples it is representing the right to marry, even for a short period, would do them irreparable harm.
