U.S. Appeals Court Overturns Utah's Ban on Gay Marriage -- and Indiana, Too!

From: kenneth in the (212)

 Yet another historic day for LGBT rights!

The L.A. Times reports:

In a decision coming from Utah, a federal appeals court on Wednesday for the first time backed gay marriage.

The Denver-based U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court decision that struck down the state's bans on same-sex marriage.

The ruling, which was stayed, sets the stage for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which touched off the current round of legal fighting on the issue when it struck down parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year. 

"We hold that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state’s marital laws," according to the decision posted on the court's website. "A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union." 

"For the reasons stated in this opinion, we affirm."

Via NGLTF:

CONGRATULATIONS Indiana! We are delighted that same-sex couples in the the Hoosier State will now have the option of marriage. Marriage equality has clearly reached a critical mass and we can look forward to all Americans having the freedom to marry.