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Oklahoma Question 711 of 2004, was an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman, thus rendering recognition or performance of same-sex marriages or civil unions null within the state prior to its being ruled unconstitutional. The referendum was approved by 76 percent of the voters.
The text of the amendment states:
(a.) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman. Neither this Constitution nor any other provision of law shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups. (b.) A marriage between persons of the same gender performed in another state shall not be recognized as valid and binding in this state as of the date of the marriage. (c.) Any person knowingly issuing a marriage license in violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.On January 14, 2014, Judge Terence C. Kern of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma declared Question 711 unconstitutional. The case, Bishop v. United States (formerly Bishop v. Oklahoma), was then stayed pending appeal. On July 18, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that Oklahoma's ban was unconstitutional. On October 6, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected Oklahoma's request for review, overturning all state laws banning same-sex marriage.