A county judge has ruled the State of Arkansas must recognize 500 same-sex marriages that were legally performed last year.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen has just ordered the State of Arkansas to recognize about 500 same-sex marriages that were legally performed between May 9 and May 16 last year, after state judge Chris Piazza struck down the state’s marriage ban.
Arkansas has seen its ban on same-sex marriage struck down several times, but for the 500 or so couples – including the couple in the photo above – awaiting legal recognition, which includes adoption and insurance rights along with a myriad of other federal and state benefits, the waiting can seem endless.
“Some of the same-sex couples who married in Arkansas last year filed a lawsuit in February alleging that the state was violating their rights by not recognizing the unions,” the AP reports. “Griffen’s ruling means the couples can file taxes jointly, appear jointly on a child’s birth certificate, enroll together on state health insurance plans and even file for divorce.”
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Image by lordgrav via Instagram