Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
on Monday temporarily blocked a lower court's order striking down
Kansas' ban on gay marriage.
The ruling was set to take effect on
Tuesday at 5 PM.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt
turned to the Supreme Court after the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
in Denver refused to stay the ruling.
In asking the high court to allow the
state to keep its ban as it pursues an appeal, Schmidt relied on a
recent federal appeals court's ruling upholding such bans in Ohio,
Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Sotomoyar, who oversees federal courts
in Kansas, ordered plaintiffs in the case to respond to the state's
request by Tuesday evening.
The Los Angeles Times reported
that the justices might discuss the case on Friday.