Anti-Gays Win in Two States

LINCOLN, NE -- Gay Marriage opponents won major victories Friday with two different court rulings, AP reports. In the Nebraska case, a federal appeals court reinstated a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, while in Tennessee, the state's Supreme Court ruled that voters should decide on the issue, not the court.

More than 70% of Nebraska voters approved a ban on gay marriage in the 2000 election. However, the ban was temporarily halted when U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon ruled that the ban was too broad, depriving gays and lesbians of such basic rights as participating in the political process.

The ruling was appealed, and Friday the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the amendment "and other laws limiting the state-recognized institution of marriage to heterosexual couples are rationally related to legitimate state interests and therefore do not violate the Constitution of the United States."

Attorney General Jon Bruning has earlier argued for restoring the ban, saying that the opponents of the ban "are free to gather, express themselves, lobby, and generally participate in the political process however they see fit. Plaintiffs are free to petition state senators to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Plaintiffs are similarly free to begin an initiative process to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, just as supporters ... did."

In the Tennessee case, the state's Supreme Court threw out a challenge to a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would block same-sex marriage. The issue will now go to voters in November.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought on the challenge, claiming that the state failed to meet notification requirements as outlined in the Tennessee Constitution. However, the court ruled that the ACLU did not have the standing to file the suit.