Lawsuit challenges Mississippi gay marriage ban
Lawsuit challenges Mississippi gay marriage ban
Emily Le Coz, The Clarion-Ledger
October 20, 2014
Two same-sex couples seeking marriage equality in Mississippi filed the first federal challenge to the state's gay marriage ban on Monday, the latest in a string of similar lawsuits nationwide.
"We're hoping the case will move quickly," said Aaron Sarver of the North Carolina-based gay-rights organization Campaign for Southern Equality, which filed the suit on behalf of the women in the U.S. District Court in Jackson.
Rebecca Bickett and her long-term partner Andrea Sanders want to get married in Mississippi, the lawsuit says, while Jocelyn Pritchett and her partner Carla Webb already got married in Maine and want their union recognized in Mississippi.
Both couples have children and say Mississippi's ban deprives them and their children of their constitutional rights simply because they're gay. They want the ban overturned and also seek a preliminary injunction while the case is pending.... MORE at
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2014/10/20/same-sex-marriage-challenge/17625717/