TUCSON, AZ – Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) released the following statement today after a federal judge in Phoenix voided Arizona’s constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman, paving the way for gay marriage in the state.

“Today, Arizona joined 30 other states and the District of Columbia in recognizing that marriages should be determined by the love two people share – not by who those two people happen to be,” said Rep. Grijalva. “History shows how freedoms and rights that are not extended to everyone are not secure for anyone. The push for marriage equality across America is an acknowledgement of that fact, and I am glad that Arizona is on the right side of history on this issue.”

On October 13th, the 9th circuit court of appeals ruled marriage restrictions in Idaho and Nevada to be unconstitutional because they deny same-sex couples equal protection of the law, the right to which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. Today’s ruling recognizes that Arizona is bound by the same decision.

“This issue speaks to who we are as a nation,” Grijalva continued. “The rights and liberties we cherish must be secure for every American, period. While today’s ruling is a tremendous step in the right direction, our work on this issue will not be done until every state and territory in the United States recognizes same sex marriages as Constitutionally protected and not subject to the whims or judgments of anyone except the two people involved.”

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