Federal judge rules against Okla. marriage amendment

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Byron Babione regarding a federal judge’s decision Tuesday in Bishop v. United States of America to declare unconstitutional Oklahoma’s voter-approved constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman:

“Marriage expresses the truth that men and women bring distinct, irreplaceable gifts to family life. Understanding that truth, the voters of Oklahoma approved a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The ruling in this case ignores that time-tested and rational definition of marriage—affirmed by 76 percent of Oklahoma voters—and replaces it with the recently conceived notion that marriage is little more than special government recognition for close relationships. A court should not impose this novel view of marriage on the people of Oklahoma. We will review the decision with our client, the Tulsa County clerk, and consider her next steps.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.