The march to full marriage equality in Kansas progresses

Here's a quick timeline of last week's fast-moving events. Be sure to read through to the end - there's some great info there!

Monday:

- The US Supreme Court let stand summer rulings in Utah and Oklahoma that invalidated those states' bans on same sex marriage.

- The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted their stay on their June and July rulings.

- Since Kansas is in the 10th Circuit, their rulings apply here. With that, Equality Kansas members went to their selected county courthouses to apply for marriage licenses. All were denied the right to apply.

Tuesday:

- Marriages in Utah and Oklahoma begin.

- Equality Kansas launched a full-scale campaign to encourage our members, and the LGBT community as a whole, to run to their local courthouses and apply for marriage licenses.

- Tuesday afternoon, the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration advised district courts to allow same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses, and submit them to district chief judges for review.

- Some counties in Kansas accept marriage license applications, some refuse. In those counties that were accepting applications, some chief judges immediately denied them.

- In Johnson County, Kelli and Angela have their application accepted.

Wednesday:

- Equality Kansas continued our campaign of urging LGBT couples to continue flooding local courthouses with marriage license applications.

- Through the morning, the situation remains confusing as some courts refuse to accept applications, some accept with immediate denials, some accept without comment.

- At 2pm, Johnson County Chief Judge Kevin Moriarty issues an order to the judges and clerks in his district: Accept all valid applications, and issue licenses to same-sex couples.

- The clerk of the Johnson County Court contacts Kelli and Angela, and tells them their three-day waiting period will be up on Friday. They are the only couple in the state whose three days will be up that day.

Thursday:

- Equality Kansas urges LGBT couples who are able to travel to go to Johnson County immediately and apply for marriage licenses.

- By the end of the day, nearly 50 same-sex couples have applied for licenses in Johnson County.

- The situation in all other counties remains unsettled. Some judges are denying licenses; others seem to be waiting to see what happens next.

Friday:

8:00am - Kelli and Angela arrive at the Johnson County Courthouse with their children, two close friends, and their pastor. They pick up their marriage license, and by 8:20, are legally married.

11:00am - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt files an emergency request with the Kansas Supreme Court. In his complaint, he demands an end to the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Throughout the day - More couples continue to apply for marriage licenses across the state. Results continue to be mixed.

4:30pm - The Kansas Supreme Court issues an order blocking issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and scheduling a hearing for November 6. Their order is significant, and good news for us, for two important reasons:

1. They cited the Utah and Oklahoma appellate cases in ordering the Attorney General to explain why the Kansas ban on same-sex marriage should be found constitutional.

2. They *refused* his request that the acceptance of applications be halted. Instead, the Kansas Supreme Court *ordered that marriage license applications continue to be accepted from same-sex couples.* In the words of Vice President Joe Biden, this is a big (freaking) deal.

5:00pm - The ACLU files suit in Federal court on behalf of two couples - members of Equality Kansas - who were denied marriage licenses in Douglas and Sedgwick Counties. The suit demands their marriage rights be recognized.

MONDAY: The ACLU has filed a request for an injunction in Federal court, demanding that the United States, in keeping with the 10th Circuit rulings in Utah and Oklahoma, immediately cease enforcement of the marriage ban.

by Tom Witt, Executive Director, Equality Kansas

The Gayly – October 16, 2014 @ 9:20am