Betsy & Robin Miner-Swartz (via Detroit Free Press)
This could be a big week in Michigan:
Robin Miner-Swartz and Betsy Miner-Swartz will be glued to their phones on Wednesday afternoon as they wait for news on what could be a historic day for the state.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman is expected to issue a ruling, perhaps that afternoon, on whether Michigan’s 2004 ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution. He also may decide whether the state’s ban on same-sex adoption should be tossed.
Should he lift the ban on same-sex marriage and decline to issue a stay while it’s being appealed, same-sex marriage would be legal in Michigan until a higher court overturned it.
Dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of same-sex couples are preparing to tie the knot Wednesday afternoon, according to organizers in the gay and lesbian communities.
Ingham and Washtenaw counties are among those offering to waive waiting times for marriage licenses, and 44 clergy members statewide will be on call to perform ceremonies, according to Randy Block of the Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network, who has compiled a list of available county clerks and clergy.
Joe points out that action is expected in both New Mexico and Hawai’i this month, which could make October a big month for marriage equality nationwide.
