Judge Upholds Ban on Same-Sex Weddings

U.S. District Judge James S. Moody upheld the federal law that allows states to ban same-sex marriages, dismissing a lawsuit by two women seeking to have their Massachusetts marriage recognized in Tampa.

Moody sided with former Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft, who argued in court filings that the government had a legitimate interest in allowing states to ban same-sex marriages. The plaintiffs promised to appeal.

“This is a legal shot heard ‘round the world,” said attorney Ellis Rubin, who filed the lawsuit on the women’s behalf. “But we are not giving up.... This case is going to be resolved in the U.S. Supreme Court.”