<span style="font-size: larger;">The U.S. Supreme Court has put same-sex marriages on hold in Utah while a federal appeals court considers the issue. The court issued a brief order blocking any new same-sex unions in the state.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;">The order grants an emergency appeal by the state following the Dec. 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violates gay and lesbian couples' constitutional rights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;">To read more on the decision and the background of the issue in heavily Mormon populated Utah click on the following link:</span><br />
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<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/supreme-court-puts-utah-sex-marriage-hold-21432884"><span style="font-size: larger;">http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/supreme-court-puts-utah-sex-marriage-hold-21432884</span></a><br />