AP/The Daily Beast
On Tuesday evening, a federal judge struck down a 2006 Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The ruling, which takes effect 9 a.m. Friday, means that same-sex couples in the state could seek marriage licenses Friday. To prevent that from happening, Republican Gov. Butch Otter filed a pre-emptive motion in federal court for an immediate stay to make sure no marriages are performed until “completion of all appeals.” “Idaho’s marriage laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love,” wrote federal judge Candy Dale.