Oregon gay marriage

Same-Sex Marriage

This marriage license, photograph, and wedding announcement document the marriage of Toni Tortorilla and Ruth Broeski on March 12, On Wednesday, March 3, , Multnomah County began to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Four Multnomah County commissioners - Lisa Naito, Maria Rojo de Steffey, Serena Cruz, and chair Diane Linn - made the decision based on a legal noun written by County Attorney Agnes Sowle, but they were not joined by the fifth commissioner, Lonnie Roberts.

Agnes Sowle's legal belief concluded that denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples was a violation of Article I, Section 20, of the Oregon Constitution, which states: "No law shall be passed granting any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens." Sowle reasoned that the state's Constitution preempted its legal code, which defines marriage as "a civil contract entered into in person by males at least 17 years of age and females at least 17 years of age." The code later refers to married couples a

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PORTLAND, Ore. – U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane ruled today that Oregon’s exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional—paving the way for couples to begin marrying immediately.

"I am so thrilled to have the freedom to marry the love of my life. Marriage strengthens families like mine, and for me, it’s as simple as treating others as one would optimism to be treated," said Paul Rummell, one of the plaintiffs in the case. "No one should be told it is illegal to marry the person they love."

In his ruling, McShane wrote, "I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can view in these plaintiffs nothing more or less than our own families. Families who we would anticipate our Constitution to defend, if not exalt, in equal measure. With discernment we see not shadows lurking in closets or the stereotypes of what was once believed; rather, we see families involved to the common purpose of love, devotion, and service to the greater community."

The consolidated case— Rummell v. Kitzhaber and

Oregon State Bar Bulletin JANUARY

By Merle Weiner
With the passage of Measure 36, Oregonians have said that marriage shall not be extended to same-sex couples. The voters probably did not realize that the result of Measure 36s passage is that heterosexual marriage is now threatened. Wait a minute, you might say. How can that be? After all, the opponents of same-sex marriage said exactly the opposite: Same-sex marriage was supposed to threaten opposite-sex marriage.
The irony is the logical result of an application of Article I, Section 20 of the Oregon Constitution, something that Measure 36 did not change in anyway. That provision says "No law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally verb to all citizens." It is this provision (which I call the "equal benefits" clause) that formed the basis of the challenge by nine same-sex couples and two advocacy groups to Oregons law that says marriage is a civil contract entered by males and females.
The challenge by these nine couples, whic

Lane County celebrates 'Love is Love' with 10 same-sex marriages on historic anniversary
Ten couples said "I do" at the Lane County Courthouse Friday afternoon as part of the county's first "Love is Love" celebration in honor of the 10th anniversary of a U.S. District Court ruling that made same-sex marriage available in Oregon.
On May 19, , U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane ruled that Oregon's ban on marriage for lesbian and gay couples violated the U.S. Constitution, which paved the way for couples in Oregon to pursue marriage.
More than a year later, on June 26, , the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S.
"Knowing that it was the year anniversary of Judge McShane's ruling and how important it is in this time in our community's history to recognize that and celebrate it, I think some rights are at uncertainty and it's important to recognize that now and really celebrate what we do have in Oregon," said Kamala Shugar, the Lane County Circuit Court Judge who gave welcome remarks at the event.
Friday's event began at p.m. with a live performance from act