A married lesbian couple on Monday
asked a federal judge to rule in a case challenging Pennsylvania's
law that prohibits the state from recognizing the legal marriages of
gay couples.
Isabelle Barker and Cara Palladino
married in Massachusetts in 2005 before moving to Philadelphia later
that same year when Barker got a job at Bryn Mawr College. The
couple is raising a young son.
“We took on the commitment of
marriage in 2005 and have supported each other through life's ups and
downs,” said Palladino. “We think it is wrong for Pennsylvania
to void our marriage and treat us as though we are unmarried when we
are very much a loving family.”
The couple filed for summary judgment
in the case known as Cara Palladino and Isabelle Barker v.
Governor Thomas Corbett and Attorney General Kathleen Kane.
Plaintiffs are asking for the state to
recognize the out-of-state legal marriages of gay couples. The
lawsuit does not seek to require Pennsylvania to allow gay couples to
marry.
Gay nuptials are legal in the
neighboring states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.