Oregon will recognize same-sex marriages from other states

Lesbian brides kissingBY ZACK FORD
Think Progress

Oregon state Chief Operating Officer Michael Jordan announced Thursday that the state will officially recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, though it will not allow those marriages to take place in Oregon. Though Oregon’s constitution states that “only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage,” Jordan, with guidance from the Oregon Department of Justice, points out that there are a variety of other marriages that are not legal in Oregon, but are still recognized:

“The DOJ opinion discusses the difference between Oregon’s definition of marriage — as between one man and one woman — and the state’s practice of recognizing marriages performed in other states. It describes how Oregon courts have consistently recognized valid out-of-state marriages, even when the marriage could not be performed in Oregon — such as common-law marriages. Although the Oregon constitution might be construed to prohibit recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages, DOJ concludes that such a construction would violate the federal constitution.”

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