On Sunday, Jan. 25 U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade, who struck down the same-sex marriage ban, put the ruling on a 14-day hold for Alabama's attorney general to make their case to an appeals court.
According to NBC News, if the appeals court doesn't extend or lift the stay by the end of the 14 days, the ruling will take effect Feb. 9.
According to Time Inc., Alabama is the most conservative state in the union. In 2006, 81 percent of Alabamians voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, an amendment struck down by Granade on Friday, Jan. 23, for being unconstitutional.
Alicia Valenti, president of Auburn University College Democrats and senior in public administration, said she believes the decision was long overdue.
"I think that everyone should be able to marry who they love, and I would hope that it would encourage more people to live here rather than move out of the state," Valenti said.
Valenti said she also hopes the change will attract greater diversity to Auburn's student population.
"We are, overall, a very conservative campus and pretty homogenous in terms of demographics," Valenti said. "I hope that this ban may make Alabama more of a forward-thinking state, and we'd be able to have a more diverse student body and maybe not see so much of the same ideas propagated around campus."
Carson Sprayberry, chairman of Auburn University College of Republicans and junior in polymer & fiber engineering, said though he does not agree with the decision, it was not unexpected.
"With the trend that's been going all around the U.S., it really came as no surprise that another federal judge would strike down a very traditional state's ban on same-sex marriage," Sprayberry said. "In my personal opinion, I don't believe that the striking down by a federal judge constitutes as a reasonable decision when just eight years ago, 81 percent of Alabamians opposed same-sex marriage in the state."
Reed Dudley, president of Alabama College Democrats and junior in anthropology, said she sees the decision as a great historic moment in Alabama's history and as a historic moment in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
"It's always great to see equality win, especially in the South, because Alabama isn't exactly known as being progressive," Dudley said. "It just shows that Alabama continues to lead in helping the lives of others."
Beth Slagle, vice chairman of Auburn University College Republicans and junior in business, said she's disappointed in the outcome.
Slagle said she believes the divide between people will deepen if the ruling stands.
"As a conservative and a Christian, I do believe marriage is defined as between a man and a woman, and it's disappointing to me to see the federal government try to get involved in a state issue because marriage is a state issue," Slagle said. "I do have faith in Luther Strange and Governor Bentley that they will do the right thing by Alabama and take care of it and appeal the decision and stand up for our state."
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