Same-sex marriages start in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – A South Carolina court has issued a marriage license to a same-sex couple despite the state’s constitutional ban against the practice and the attorney general’s pledge to defend it.

Charleston County Probate Judge Irvin Condon issued the license Oct. 8 morning to two women: Charleston County Councilwoman Colleen Condon and Nichols Bleckley.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of a ruling allowing same-sex marriage by a federal appeals court with jurisdiction over South Carolina.

In a statement, Condon said that as a result, his court is required to accept and issue marriage licenses.

State Attorney General Alan Wilson had vowed to keep fighting a case in which a same-sex couple married elsewhere had asked South Carolina to recognize their union. On Oct. 6 morning, a Wilson spokesman said the attorney general was reviewing the matter.

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