Gay marriage proponents urged the U.S. Supreme Court to deny a request from Utah officials seeking to block a federal court ruling that allowed same-sex marriages.
Utah became the 18th state to extend marriage rights to gays and lesbians. This decision was surprising to Utah’s residents who are largely Mormon. Same sex marriages are against tenants of the Mormon faith.
According to Reuters, Utah's court filing on Tuesday called the gay and lesbian marriages performed in Utah "an affront ... to the interests of the state and its citizens in being able to define marriage through ordinary democratic channels."
In previous years, Utah has tried to ban the union of same-sex couples. Justices at the level of the Supreme Court are deciding if the ban is unconstitutional. According to The New York Times, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles the requests for Utah and the other Rocky Mountain States, will either rule on the Utah’s request for a stay or refer the matter to entire court. The stay application would block same-sex marriages.
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