Eleven States File Anti-Gay Marriage Brief With Tenth Circuit Court Of Appeals, Major Religious Denominations File Too

Eleven states have filed a brief with the Tenth Circuit Court in support of Utah's defense of its ban on same-sex marriage.

The states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Notably there were 16 states that signed on to the pro-Defense of Marriage Act and pro-Prop 8 briefs before the Supreme Court. Those weighing in on marriage bans before the Supreme Court were also Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin; but Colorado and Nebraska did not.

Also filing a brief yesterday was a coalition of major religious denominations.

Lawyers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote the brief, which was signed by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. “Our respective religious doctrines hold that marriage between a man and a woman is sanctioned by God as the right and best setting for bearing and raising children,” it says. “We believe that children, families, society, and our nation thrive best when husband-wife marriage is upheld and strengthened as a cherished, primary social institution.”

Yesterday there was a brief from Mark Regernus too.