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Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in West Virginia since October 9, 2014. It was previously banned by state statute. On July 28, 2014, a ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in ''Bostic v. Schaefer'' found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. On October 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in ''Bostic'' allowing the ruling to take effect. As a result, on October 9, 2014, state Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced he was ordering state agencies to act in compliance with the controlling precedent in the Virginia case. Even though West Virginia's ban was not explicitly declared unconstitutional, the Fourth Circuit precedent made it certain the state's statutory ban would be overturned. The state started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on that same day. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia officially ruled the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional on November 7, 2014. == State statutes == A state statute defines marriage between a man and a woman. In 2009, a bill that would amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage in the state was overwhelmingly voted down (67-30) by the House of Delegates. All 29 House Republicans voted to move the measure out of committee, along with one Democrat. The amendment was heavily supported by Evangelical groups in the state and the Family Council Policy of West Virginia. In 2010, "The Marriage Protection Amendment" was re-introduced in both the House of Delegates and the Senate. Republican efforts to discharge the measure from the House Constitutional Revision Committee and were defeated (68-30). The amendment was later defeated in the Senate. In December 2011, Delegate John Doyle introduced a bill to legalize civil unions in West Virginia as one of his last acts before retirement in 2012.〔(【引用サイトリンク】Jefferson County Delegate Will Not Seek Reelection )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】West Virginia Delegate John Doyle Plans Civil Unions Bill )〕 It was submitted to the House of Delegates in February 2012 and died without a vote. West Virginia has extended hospital visitation rights to same-sex couples through a designated visitor statute. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Same-sex marriage in West Virginia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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