Supporters of gay marriage celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision not to get involved with the gay marriage debate, while opponents charged it with passing the buck.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is expected to win reelection this year, tweeted “#VirginiaIsForLovers” in response to the high court’s decision not to consider several appeals of lower-court decisions that struck down state laws banning gay marriage.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) in a similar message said it was providing momentum for marriage equality.
The court’s inaction rankled many conservatives, who want states to have the final say on defining marriage, allowing them to decide whether it would recognize gay marriages for tax and other state purposes.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) said he was disappointed that the Supreme Court won’t hear his state’s appeal.
“Nothing in the Constitution forbids a state from retaining the traditional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman,” he said in a statement. The Supreme Court owes it to the people of those states, whose democratic choices are being invalidated, to review the question soon and reaffirm that states do have that right.”
The court’s inaction effectively allows gay marriage in Indiana, Utah, Virginia, Oklahoma and Wisconsin by passively affirming lower court rulings, but that could be readdressed at a later date.
“Full equality is here to stay in Wisconsin,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), an openly gay congressman and co-chairman of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, said. “The Supreme Court’s rejection of [the Wisconsin] appeal puts an end to a dark chapter in Wisconsin’s history where many are treated as second-class citizens simply based on who they choose to love.”