A federal judge has put his own ruling
ordering Kentucky officials to recognize the legal out-of-state
marriages of gay and lesbian couples on hold for three weeks.
State officials asked U.S. District
Judge John G. Heyburn II for a 90-day stay on his ruling handed down
Thursday. Heyburn gave the state until March 20 to comply. State
officials have not said whether they plan on pursuing an appeal.
(Related: Kentucky
must recognize out-of-state marriages of gay couples, judge rules.)
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are four gay
and lesbian couples who want Kentucky to recognize their marriages
celebrated in a separate state or country.
A separate suit before the same judge
seeks to allow gay couples to marry in Kentucky.