A second lawsuit challenging Indiana's
ban on gay marriage was filed on Monday.
Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit in
federal court on behalf of three lesbian couples who would like to
marry in Indiana but are unable due to state law.
“Same-sex couples and their families
in the Hoosier state are vulnerable every day that they are denied
the freedom to marry,” Paul Castillo, staff attorney for Lambda
Legal, said
in a statement. “Many families are helped and no one is hurt
when same-sex couples are treated fairly by their government. Even
if couples travel out of state to marry they will still be denied any
respect by the state of Indiana and there are many important federal
benefits, such as Family Medical Leave, that will be denied because
those benefits are based on whether or not the home state respects
the marriage.”
Plaintiff couples include Rae Baskin,
60, and Ester Fuller, 78, of Whitestown; Bonne Everly, 56, and Linda
Judkins, 57, of Chesterton; and Dawn Lynn Carver, 41, and Pamela
Eanes, 50, of Munster. The couples have been together 24, 13 and 17
years, respectively.
A similar lawsuit involving four
couples was filed last week.
(Related: Indiana's
ban on gay marriage ban challenged.)
The cases come just weeks after Indiana
lawmakers altered the language of a proposed constitutional amendment
seeking to limit marriage to a heterosexual union, keeping the
amendment from reaching voters this November.