Wait, gay marriage in Kentucky?

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Really? Yes. Well, maybe:

In a ruling that could open the door to gay marriage in Kentucky, a federal judge has struck down the state's ban on recognizing same-sex unions performed in states where it is legal.

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II ruled Wednesday that Kentucky’s prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law by treating gays and lesbians "differently in a way that demeans them."

*****

Heyburn's decision strikes down part of Kentucky's marriage amendment, enacted in 2004 by 74 percent of the voters, which says "only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Kentucky."

In the 23-page opinion, Heyburn said the state and groups defending the amendment offered no evidence that recognizing same-sex unions would harm opposite-sex marriages, individually or collectively.

That's because there is no evidence. It's bigotry rooted in religious ignorance, combined with sexual delusion and personal psychosis. (Something like that.)

Anyway, this is certainly a giant step forward, even if we're probably still a long way off from seeing marriage equality in Kentucky, a state with great whiskey, excellent college basketball, a famous horse race, and a Corvette museum with a large sinkhole in it, but one not exactly known for its progressivism and commitment to civil rights.