A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday declined to delay its ruling striking down Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage, meaning gay people in the state will be able to get married unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond struck down the state ban in July. The state's Democratic attorney general, Mark Herring, who backs gay marriage, and opponents of same-sex marriage had asked the court to stay its ruling while the Supreme Court considered the case.
But in a brief order issued on Wednesday, the three-judge panel said it voted 2-1 to deny the requests. The ruling is due to go into effect sometime next week, according to court papers.