these are all states that president obama won easily in 2008 and 2012. utah, however is a state mitt romney won 73% of the vote. and so that is really significant and potentially the next battle ground in all of this. we know that there was the ban on same-sex marriage in utah passed by voters in 2004. was that vote was it overwhelming? absolutely. one of the things not only is utah a state that s dominated by republicans, also a state heavily influenced by the ladder day saints and any kind of referendum that a ban on gay marriage would win overwhelming support in utah as in other red states. i think that what is significant about all of this, you see a federal judge striking down a gay marriage ban in utah, then all of a sudden you start asking, what is going to be the situation in a place like texas.
but then came today. and i don t know why this one feels different. but this one feels different. today, a federal judge in utah, yes, that utah. struck down the state s ban on same-sex marriage. the very first federal ruling since the supreme court s landmark rulings this morning. state s law prohibiting the law was unconstitutional and violated the right of the people of utah. in his ruling today, less than two and a half weeks after he first heard arguments in the case, the judge set himself a self-imposed deadline that he would rule, make a decision by january 7th. it s nowhere near january 7th and he surprised everyone when he just went ahead and ruled today in a sweeping ruling. he thought apparently, there was not only no rational reason to uphold utah s gay marriage ban, but that there was no reason to wait and so, the ruling came
but this one feels different. today, a federal judge in utah, yes, that utah. struck down the state s ban on same-sex marriage. the very first federal ruling since the supreme court s landmark rulings this morning. this summer. state s law prohibiting the law was unconstitutional and violated the right of the people of utah. in his ruling today, less than two and a half weeks after he first heard arguments in the case, the judge set himself a self-imposed deadline that he would rule, make a decision by january 7th. it s nowhere near january 7th and he surprised everyone when he just went ahead and ruled today in a sweeping ruling. he thought apparently, there was not only no rational reason to uphold utah s gay marriage ban, but that there was no reason to wait and so, the ruling came
as far as we can tell, there have been no big anti-gay rallies in minnesota or rhode island, not even any grandstanding in congress on the issue. that does not mean that the whole country is on the same path to marriage equality. take pennsylvania, for example, this show recently reported that in montgomery county, the guy in charge of issuing marriage licenses announced he would issue those licenses to gay people despite a 16-year-old gay marriage ban in his state. the state technically banned gay marriage, but he would give them marriage licenses anyway. as bruce haynes told rachel, he did it because it was the right thing to do. it s one thing to talk about this academically, you have two folks come in and ask for this recognition of their union. that puts it in an entirely different framework. it s not academic any more. it s not atherial.
that does not mean that the whole country is on the same path to marriage equality. take pennsylvania, for example, this show recently reported that in montgomery county, the guy in charge of issuing marriage licenses announced he would issue those licenses to gay people despite a 16-year-old gay marriage ban in his state. the state technically banned gay marriage, but he would give them marriage licenses anyway. as bruce haynes told rachel, he did it because it was the right thing to do. it s one thing to talk about this academically, you have two folks come in and ask for this recognition of their union. that puts it in an entirely different framework. it s not academic any more. it s not atherial. i ve been speculating as to the number of people who are going to show up today. it was going to be zero or a line around the block. it turned out to be five. it was five couples the first day, and as of yesterday it s 34.