A federal appeals court has upheld Kentucky's bans on same-sex marriages, rolling back two rulings that opened the door for gay couples to have their unions in other states recognized and to be wed in the Bluegrass State.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panels' 2-1 ruling Thursday is the highest-level court victory for gay marriage opponents after a flood of 20-plus court wins for supporters of same-sex marriage in the past year.
The ruling from the Cincinnati-based court followed arguments on Aug. 6 in six gay marriage cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote that the issue should be settled at the ballot box.
Family Foundation of Kentucky spokesman Martin Cothran says the case may end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Human Rights Campaign, a leading LGBT rights group, calls the decision a "shameful outlier" and will, eventually be viewed as being on the "wrong side of history".