NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, April 20, 2004

The action effectively ends gay marriage nationally, because the county was the only jurisdiction in the country known to currently allow same-sex weddings. On May 17, the state of Massachusetts is slated to begin approving same-sex marriage license applications after a high court's ruling there.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Frank Bearden said that he believed the Oregon Constitution "would allow either a civil union or [marriage] privileges to same-sex couples."

But Bearden said a Supreme Court ruling was needed to determine whether gay marriage should be allowed in the state. He said "public debate and legislative action may be required to carry out the court's mandate."

The ruling came in a lawsuit that has consolidated all the arguments over same-sex unions in hopes of a quick ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court.

Multnomah County began issuing marriage licenses to gays on March 3 after a legal review determined it was unconstitutional to ban applications from same-sex couples.

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Editor's note: