A federal judge in Oregon this spring cleared the way for same-sex marriages to begin when state officials refused to defend the voter-approved ban in court. Now, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has turned down an attempt by the National Organization For Marriage to step in.
The court said that the organization basically was not able to show that its members and the voters that it said it represented had any standing in the case. They said that it wasn't a relevant enough interest in this case for them to be able to intervene.
The National Organization For Marriage can appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court but there's no guarantee the high court will take up the case.
The Oregon lawsuit was originally brought by four same-sex couples who sued for the right to get married.
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