Editor’s note: This article was first published on October 6, 2014. Laws and court decisions may have changed since then, so it may not reflect current South Carolina law. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. It is general information, not legal advice.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson continued to defend the state’s ban on same sex marriage Monday, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to address lower court rulings declaring such unions a constitutional right.
WASHINGTON – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson continued to defend the state’s ban on same sex marriage Monday, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to address lower court rulings declaring such unions a constitutional right.
The high court offered no explanation for its decision, which directly affects Virginia and four other states, which immediately began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday.
The court’s action does not immediately affect South Carolina, even though it is part of the same federal judicial circuit as Virginia.
Wilson, who has been defending South Carolina’s 2006 ban in court, said that case is still pending.
“Until the courts rule on the matter, South Carolina will seek to uphold our state constitution,” Wilson said.
