A U.S. appeals court in Denver has upheld a lower court ruling that struck down Oklahoma's gay marriage ban.
A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling on Friday, saying Oklahoma's voter-approved ban violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision mirrored the same court's June 25 ruling in a similar case involving Utah.
"Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage sweeps too broadly in that it denies a fundamental right to all same-sex couples who seek to marry or to have their marriages recognized regardless of their child-rearing ambitions," wrote Judge Carlos Lucero, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton.
The Associated Press reports:
"Lower courts struck down Utah and Oklahoma's voter-approved bans in December and January, respectively."The rulings are the first at the appellate level since the U.S. Supreme Court changed the legal landscape by striking down the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013. They are likely to be appealed to the high court."
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