A ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily invalidated the marriages of three same-sex couples who are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee. Tennessee does not recognize marriages of same-sex couples married in other states, but in March, a U.S. district court judge in Nashville issued a temporary injunction forcing the state to recognize the marriages. The Associated Press reported:
The ruling throws into question the status of a 1-month-old girl, born to plaintiffs Valeria Tanco and Sophy Jesty in March, days after the district judge forced the state to recognize their marriage while the lawsuit made its way through the courts. Tanco and Jesty's baby became the first in the state to have parents of the same gender listed on her birth certificate.
Plaintiffs' attorney Regina Lambert said in a telephone interview that Tanco and Jesty are not discouraged by the 6th Circuit's ruling. All four states in the 6th Circuit face challenges to their laws prohibiting same sex marriage.
"The 6th Circuit is realizing this is a critical, crucial issue," Lambert said. "It's happening all over the U.S. now at a very swift pace."