Plaintiffs challenging Ohio's ban on
gay marriage have asked the Supreme Court to review an appeals court
ruling that upheld the state's restrictive marriage ban.
Last week, the Cincinnati-based Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld bans in Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee
and Ohio. The court's majority acknowledged the discrimination gay
couples face – and the inevitability of marriage equality – but
concluded that the issue would be better settled “through the
customary political process.”
Plaintiffs in the case want their
out-of-state marriages recognized by Ohio.
“By disrespecting their marriages,
Ohio has done more than deny Petitioners basic legal rights to which
they are entitled,” lawyers
representing the plaintiffs write. “It has treated Petitioners
as second-class citizens whose most intimate relationships have been
denied the dignity and respect they deserve.”
While the high court has recently
denied review of multiple similar challenges, the specifics in the
Sixth Circuit cases differ in that the court upheld the bans,
creating a disagreement between it and the four other appeals courts
that have ruled on similar bans.
Similar requests are expected to be
filed either Friday or Monday from plaintiffs challenging bans in
Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan.