In a case involving two women seeking a “divorce,” the Supreme Court of Rhode Island ruled Friday that the term “marriage,” according to state law, means a union between one man and one woman. Therefore, the lower state court did not have the authority to consider a petition for a same-sex “divorce.”
In August, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed three friend-of-the-court briefs explaining that divorce is not legally possible for nonmarital relationships.
“Marriage has always been one man and one woman in Rhode Island," said ADF's Austin R. Nimocks. "Everything else is counterfeit. The Supreme Court of Rhode Island ruled correctly.
“Not only is today’s ruling a victory for marriage, it’s also a tremendous step forward against judicial activism. Rhode Island’s highest court acknowledged that it is the role of the Legislature, and not the judiciary, to establish public policy.”
