The Republican governor of Michigan has decided that more than 300 same-sex couples who legally married on Saturday are, in fact, still legally married, but his state will not recognize their unions.
“After comprehensive legal review of state law and all recent court rulings,” a statement from Governor Rick Snyder reads, “we have concluded that same-sex couples were legally married at county clerk offices in the time period between U.S. District Judge Freidman’s ruling and the 6th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporary stay of that ruling.”
On Friday, federal judge Bernard Friedman struck down Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage, recognizing it was unconstitutional because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment. On Saturday, 322 same-sex couples were legally married. Later that day, Michigan attorney general Bill Schuette successfully convinced an appeals court to halt further marriages and “stay,” or place the judge’s ruling on hold.
The governor’s statement, however, argues that “the U.S. Circuit Court’s stay has the effect of suspending the benefits of marriage until further court rulings are issued on this matter. The couples with certificates of marriage from Michigan courthouses last Saturday were legally married and the marriage was valid when entered into. Because the stay brings Michigan law on this issue back into effect, the rights tied to these marriages are suspended until the stay is lifted or Judge Friedman’s decision is upheld on appeal.â€
The legally-married couples are now officially being denied protections, rights, and benefits including name-changes, access to insurance, survivor benefits, social security benefits, adoption benefits — including the right to jointly adopt which can impact medical insurance benefits for their children as well.
Image: Governor Snyder on Twitter