Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, a
Republican, said Friday she was “dismayed” by a federal appeals
court's affirmation of a lower court's ruling striking down
Oklahoma's ban on gay marriage.
A divided three-judge panel of the
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver declared Oklahoma must allow
gay and lesbian couples to marry. Last month, the same panel upheld
a ruling knocking down Utah's ban. Utah officials have since
announced they'll ask the Supreme Court to review the case.
(Related: Appeals
court rules Oklahoma must allow gay couples to marry.)
“Dismayed the federal courts once
again ignored the will of the people & trampled on the ability of
states to govern,” Fallin said in a tweet to her more than 18,700
followers.
In a statement, she said she personally
supports the ban and would appeal the ruling.
“In 2004, voters had an opportunity
to decide whether or not to allow same-sex marriage in Oklahoma,”
Fallin said. “Seventy-six percent voted not to, and to instead
define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. I was
one of the many voters who cast my ballot in favor of traditional
marriage.”
“Today's ruling is another instance
of federal courts ignoring the will of the people and trampling on
the rights of states to govern themselves. In this case, two judges
have acted to overturn a law supported by Oklahomans. Their decision
will be appealed and, I hope, overturned. As governor, I will
continue to fight back against our federal government when it seeks
to ignore or change laws written and supported by Oklahomans.”