CHEYENNE, Wyomg (AP) — Same-sex marriage has arrived Wyomg, the nservative wtern mounta state where the 1998 beatg ath of a gay stunt helped spark the movement that has culmated a broad expansn of gay rights around Ameri. Gay upl began to apply for marriage licens Tuday, shortly after the state began to regnize same-sex unns, albe far more quietly than other plac where bans were recently stck down. More than 30 stat, cludg Arizona and Alaska, now regnize same-sex unns chang triggered by a U.S. Supreme Court cisn Oct. 6 that refed to hear appeals om stat that wanted to fend gay marriage bans. Hundreds of same-sex upl Idaho and Nevada flood clerk's offic and urtho recent weeks and married immediately afterward to cheerg crowds. The change remaed particularly notable Ameri's least populo state, where Matthew Shepard, a gay Universy of Wyomg stunt, was robbed, tied to a fence and vicly beaten 16 years ago. He died days after the attack on Oct. 12, 1998. The slayg galvanized a natnwi ph for gay rights and tough penalti for hate crim. In the state's largt cy, Cheyenne, two upl were licensed right away, and Jennifer Mumgh and A.J. McDaniel beme the first gay uple to legally marry the state's most populo unty. After the state formally dropped s fense of a law fg marriage as a unn between one man and one woman, Mumgh said attus Wyomg have shifted recent years to be more open to gay upl. She said she expected gay marriage to eventually bee legal, but didn't expect to happen so quickly. "I'm surprised wh the progrs of the state and that of the people throughout the state over time," she said. Wyomg has joed several other polilly nservative stat allowg gay marriage after a seri of recent urt lgs have stck down bans as unnstutnal. Gay rights supporters have said bans on same-sex unns are vlatns of the U.S. Constutn's guarante of equal protectn unr the law and due procs. Opponents have said the issue should be cid by stat and voters, not urts. For gay rights' advot, Tuday marked a long-sought victory. "It's so credible to see all of this g to culmatn across the state," Jeran Artery, executive director of Wyomg Equaly, said. "We've worked so hard for this for so long and to see the lovg mted upl fally have jtice, and equaly and eedom, 's really tremendo."
Contents:
- WYOMG BE 32ND STATE TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE
- WYOMG GOP NOT HAPPY WH LUMMIS’ SUPPORT OF GAY MARRIAGE PROTECTN
- GAY PEOPLE CAN GET LEGALLY MARRIED IN WYOMG. THEY CAN ALSO BE LEGALLY FIRED
- WYOMG LATT US STATE TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE
WYOMG BE 32ND STATE TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE
Wyomg has bee the latt state to allow gay marriage, brgg the natnal wave of expand rights for same-sex upl to a state where the 1998 beatg ath of Matthew Shepard still fluenc natnal perceptns. * wyoming gay marriage *
Wyomg on Tuday beme the 32nd state to legalize gay marriage, jog several other nservative areas allowg same-sex weddgs. Their move allows unty clerks to beg issug marriage licens to gay upl. The state's first same-sex marriage uld occur as early as Tuday move is particularly signifint for the state bee is the lotn where Matthew Shepard, a gay stunt at the Universy of Wyomg, was killed a 1998 hate crime.
Support for marriage equaly, however, has grown steadily sce 2000, when Amerins opposed gay marriage by a 57% to 35% marg. Proment lawmakers and public officials om both sis of the aisle have reversed their stanc on gay marriage recent years, cludg Print Barack Obama, former print Bill Clton, former Vice Print Dick Cheney, former Utah Gov. Wyomg has bee the latt state to allow gay marriage, brgg the natnal wave of expand rights for same-sex upl to a state where the 1998 beatg ath of Matthew Shepard still fluenc natnal perceptns.
WYOMG GOP NOT HAPPY WH LUMMIS’ SUPPORT OF GAY MARRIAGE PROTECTN
Wyomg stood poised Tuday to bee the latt state to allow gay marriage * wyoming gay marriage *
State lawyers filed a legal notice Tuday morng that said they won't fend a recently overturned Wyomg law that fed marriage as a unn between one man and one woman, meang unty clerks n beg to issue marriage licens to gay upl and the state will regnize same-sex unns performed legally elsewhere. The change is particularly notable the state where Shepard, a gay Universy of Wyomg stunt was robbed, tied to a fence and vicly beaten 16 years ago a ral area near Laramie.
GAY PEOPLE CAN GET LEGALLY MARRIED IN WYOMG. THEY CAN ALSO BE LEGALLY FIRED
The slayg galvanized a natnal ph for gay rights and tough penalti for hate crim.
WYOMG LATT US STATE TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE
Wyomg has joed several other polilly nservative stat allowg gay marriage after a seri of recent urt lgs have stck down bans as unnstutnal. 6 that refed to hear appeals om stat that wanted to fend gay marriage bans.
Gay rights supporters have said bans on same-sex unns are vlatns of 14th Amendment protectns that guarantee equal protectn unr the law and due procs.
Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., exprsed regret over her earlier opposn to same-sex marriage, a posn she took eight years ago that led to a public fallg out wh her sister, Mary, who is gay and married wh children. One has a gay son.