Rob MacPherson and Steven Stolen, plaintiffs in the ACLU Indiana suit.
Yesterday we reported that the ACLU filed a lawsuit in Florida demanding recognition of gay marriages from out-of-state.
Also filed yesterday were two others, in Arizona and Indiana.
Freedom To Marry has details, on Arizona:
Lambda Legal filed this federal lawsuit – Majors v. Roche – in Arizona on behalf of seven same-sex couples – and the surviving spouses of two other same-sex couples – seeking the freedom to marry or respect for legal marriage licenses received in other states.
"Every day that same-sex couples in Arizona are denied marriage, the government sends a message that their families are not worthy of equal dignity and respect," Lambda Legal Senior Council Jennifer Pizer explained.
The plaintiffs include married same-sex couples, couples who want to marry in Arizona, and individuals whose same-sex spouses have passed away without Arizona ever respecting their status as a married couple. The lead plaintiffs are Nelda Majors and Karen Bailey (pictured), who are both in their 70s and have been together for more than 55 years.
And Indiana:
Lambda Legal filed this federal lawsuit – Baskin v. Bogan -on behalf of three same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry in Indiana.
The plaintiffs include: Rae Baskin and Esther Fuller, who have been together for 24 years; Bonne Everly and Linda Judkins, together for over 13 years; and Dawn Lynn Carver and Pamela Eanes, together for 17 years. All of the couples are unmarried.
The named plaintiff, Rae Baskin, explained, "We just want what everyone else has in Indiana – a real, honest and legal marriage. We are a family. Esther loves me unconditionally and I can't imagine life without her.”
And today comes news that the ACLU has filed ANOTHER, separate lawsuit in Indiana:
The American Civil Liberties Union, The ACLU of Indiana, along with attorney Sean Lemieux of the Lemieux Law Office in Indianapolis, have filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of 15 plaintiffs seeking the freedom marry in Indiana.
The suit seeks to stop the state from enforcing the current discriminatory law, to require the state to recognize marriages that have taken place outside of Indiana and to allow same-sex couples to wed in Indiana.
These lawsuits around the country are proliferating so quickly it is becoming increasingly challenging to keep track of them all. But we'll do our best!
