Minnesota state judge rejects gay ‘marriage’

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota state judge has upheld the state’s traditional marriage law and refused to legalize gay “marriage.”

The ruling by District Judge Mary DuFresne will be appealed but is nevertheless a big win for supporters of the current Minnesota law which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

DuFresne said the law does not violate the due process, equal protection, religious freedom and freedom of association rights of homosexual couples. A homosexual group called Marry Me Minnesota brought the case.

Significantly DuFresne cited a 1971 case — Baker v. Nelson — that made its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Both high courts rejected legal arguments for gay “marriage.”

Traditionalists in the state are pushing the new Republican-controlled legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

“This, coupled with several bills introduced in the Legislature last year to legalize same-sex ‘marriage,’ is why we need to protect marriage with a marriage amendment,” said Chuck Darrell, communications director for the Minnesota Family Council. (TAB)