Texas Marriage Equality Ban Ruled Unconstitutional By Federal Judge

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled Wednesday that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.

Garcia issued a preliminary injunction on the state’s ban, citing Supreme Court precedent. However, Garcia issued a stay on his order, meaning the ban will remain in effect pending appeal.

“Today’s court decision is not made in defiance of the great people of Texas or the Texas Legislature, but in compliance with the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedent,” Garcia wrote in the order. “Without a rational relation to a legitimate governmental purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our U.S. Constitution.”