Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear four marriage equality cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee, a ruling expected to be announced in late June of 2015. The decisions resting on these four cases have the opportunity to bring marriage equality to all Americans. At GLAAD, we continue to be a part of the initiative for marriage equality by promoting messages of acceptance and encouraging everyone to join us in fighting for everyone to have the freedom to marry. There are now just 13 states without the freedom to marry, and those families continue to face harm every single day. Each of these four cases feature LGBT people who are continuing this work for marriage equality, fighting back against appeals and working to make these states a more accepting place for the LGBT community. We want to let the plaintiffs in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee know that we here at GLAAD have #GotYourBack, and we encourage you to do the same. By signing the #GotYourBack pledge, posting on social media, and showing your support for tomorrow's plaintiffs, you will be joining the fight for marriage equality and letting these states know that we stand behind them.
Here is some more information about the cases:
Kentucky: Bourke v. Beshear & Love v. Beshear
On February 12, 2014, in the case Bourke v. Beshear, District Judge John G. Heyburn II ruled that the state of Kentucky must respect the marriages of same-sex couples legally performed in other states. However, on March 18, 2014, Governor Steve Beshear filed an appeal. Shortly after this, the same federal judge who ruled that Kentucky's marriage ban is unconstitutional granted two same-sex couples a motion to intervene in the case. Under its new name, Love v. Beshear, this case will see the inside of the Supreme Court on April 28, 2015.
Michigan: DeBoer v. Snyder
On March 21, 2014, District Court Judge Bernard Friedman ruled in favor of the freedom to marry inDeBoer v. Snyder, striking down the marriage ban for same-sex couples. This case was filed on behalf of a same-sex plaintiff couple seeking to marry in Michigan and jointly adopt their children. More than 300 couples were able to marry the next day before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state's request for a stay on the ruling. Governor Snyder and the Attorney General appealed the ruling to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. On November 6, 2014 the court ruled against the freedom to marry.
Ohio: Obergefell v. Hodges & Henry v. Hodges
On December 23, 2013, a federal judge in the sixth circuit ruled that the state of Ohio must acknowledge the marriages of same-sex couples that are legally performed in other states for the purpose of listing surviving spouses on death certificates. This was in the case of Obergefell v. Wymyslo (now Obergefell v. Hodges). In April 2014, in a separate federal case, Henry v. Himes (now Henry v. Hodges), the same judge ruled that Ohio must respect all married same-sex couples who wed in other states for all state purposes. However, on November 6, 2015, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against these decisions.
Tennessee: Tanco v. Haslam
On March 14th, a federal judge ordered state officials to respect the marriages of three same-sex couples whose lawsuit, Tanco v. Haslam, challenges the state’s marriage ban. The judge ruled that the three plaintiff couples should have their marriages acknowledged as the lawsuit proceeds. Importantly, the recognition of legal marriages performed in other states was exclusive to the three plaintiffs in this ruling. All the same, the state of Tennessee appealed the ruling to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and eventually the court granted the request to put the ruling on hold as it proceeds.
Even as we await oral arguments and the final decision, GLAAD will continue to push for accelerated acceptance of LGBT people, couples, and families across the US. Marriage equality is a benchmark, not a finish line. GLAAD will continue to tell the stories of everyday LGBT people so that the decisions from the Supreme Court can resonate with the hearts and minds of the public.
W/ arguments B4 SCOTUS tmrw on marriage equality, I want NDans 2 know that I've #GotYourBack - no matter who you love pic.twitter.com/nkJg1uMgU3
— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) April 27, 2015
To learn more about GLAAD's support for the Unite for Marriage Coalition and the escalating national acceptance for marriage equality visit www.glaad.org/marriage.