Alabama Justice Says Same-Sex Marriage Ban Stands Despite Supreme Court Ruling

An Alabama Supreme Court chief justice issued an order Wednesday to prohibit state judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses, Reuters reported. Chief Justice Roy Moore said Alabama's Marriage Protection Act, which bans same-sex unions, is still in effect regardless of the Supreme Court ruling in June that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, USA Today reported. 

Conflicting state and federal rulings have caused "confusion and uncertainty" among the Alabama judges, Moore said.

Following the ruling in June, some Alabama judges began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, while others refused. "Until further decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the existing orders of the Alabama Supreme Court that Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment or the Alabama Marriage Protection Act remain in full force and effect," Moore wrote in the order.

This isn't Moore's first time trying to block same-sex marriage, only the first time since the highest court passed a national law that made same-sex marriage the law of the land. Last year, the Alabama Supreme Court upheld its decision to ban same-sex marriage in the state. Still, Moore said in his order that the conflicting laws cause warranted "legal analysis." 

The Southern Poverty Law Center responded to Moore's order in a statement saying it's a "dead letter" and that "this is Moore yet again confusing his role as chief justice with his personal anti-LGBT."

A majority of those who responded to the news on Twitter disagreed with Moore's order, arguing the separation of church and state and that there are more important issues to deal with.

Jan. 6, 2016, 3:40 p.m. EST: This story has been updated.