Texas Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

A federal judge in San Antonio ruled Texas' ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional Wednesday.

Judge Orlando Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an injunction stopping the state from enforcing a law that would prevent same-sex couples from getting married and would ban the state from recognizing legal same-sex marriages from other states.

"Without a rational relation to a legitimate government purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our United States Constitution," Garcia wrote.

In spite of Garcia's decision, same-sex couples will have to wait to get married in Texas. Garcia stayed his ruling to allow Texas officials to appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is running for governor as a Republican, had argued in favor of the ban.