A federal judge has joined with other statewide judges in ruling Florida's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.
On Thursday,U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, in Tallahassee, ruled the 2008 voter-backed ban on same-sex marriage violates the 14th Amendment's guarantees of equal protection and due process.
But despite the decision, Hinkle issued a stay delaying the effect of the order, which means gays will still have to wait for further court decisions before being issued marriage licenses.
Hinkle said he believes the rationale to ban same-sex marriage will be seen as discriminatory further down the road.
When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments supporting Floridas ban on same-sex marriage, though just as sincerely held, will again seem an obvious pretext for discrimination, Hinkle wrote. Observers who are not now of age will wonder just how those views could have been held.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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