In Brief: Judge declares Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

MIAMI – A federal judge on Thursday declared Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, joining judges across the country who have sided with gay couples wishing to tie the knot.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee ruled that the ban added to Florida’s constitution by voters in 2008 violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. Hinkle issued a stay delaying the effect of his order, meaning no marriage licenses will be immediately issued for gay couples. That also means gay couples legally married in other states will not immediately have their marriages recognized in Florida.

Hinkle, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, compared bans on gay marriage to the long-abandoned prohibitions on interracial marriage and predicted both would be viewed by history the same way.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a Republican, has appealed previous rulings striking down the ban, which were issued earlier this year in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties. Hinkle’s ruling allows time for appeals in the federal case. Bondi wants the Florida cases to remain on hold pending a definitive national ruling on gay marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gay marriage proponents have won more than 20 legal decisions against state same-sex marriage restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year.

Colorado university OKs pets in dorms

GREELEY, Colo. – It’s move-in day at the University of Northern Colorado, and this year some students are being allowed to bring their cats or dogs to live with them in dorms.

Pets under 40 pounds are being allowed on two of the 17 floors of Lawrenson residence hall, home to about 400 students. The pilot program beginning this week will include about 24 pets.

Dogs and cats that aren’t able to live side-by-side will be separated as needed.

While some colleges allow small-caged pets, a slowly growing number of schools are letting undergraduate students bring other pets to live with them.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology allows cats in designated “cat-friendly” areas. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, allows cats and dogs – as well as nonvenomous snakes under 6 feet long.