Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley on
Thursday called on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down
Ohio's ban on gay marriage.
“Allowing same-sex couples to marry
is a matter of basic fairness and decency,” said Cranley.
“Everyone in Ohio should be free to marry the person they love and
be able to care for them by sharing in the same protections as
everyone else. Thousands of gay couples in Ohio are raising
families, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. The
6th Circuit Court can and should strike down the marriage ban in Ohio
as soon as possible.”
A 3-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit
earlier this month heard 2 Ohio cases challenging the state's ban,
approved by voters in 2004.
Cranley is one of 18 Ohio mayors who
have endorsed marriage equality. According to Mayors for the Freedom
to Marry, 488
mayors nationwide support allowing gay couples to marry,
including 18 from Ohio.
Ohio mayors who have endorsed marriage
equality include: Frank Jackson of Cleveland; Michael Coleman of
Columbus; Nan Whaley of Dayton; John McNally of Youngstown; Don
Plusquellic of Akron; Dennis Wilcox of Cleveland Heights; Gary Norton
of East Cleveland; William Healy of Canton; David Berger of Lima; Joe
Cicero, Jr. of Lyndhurst; Susan Renda of Moreland Hills; Richard Bain
of Pepper Pike; Georgine Welo of South Euclid; David Foubert of
Yellow Springs; Sara Drew of Stow; Mike Summers of Lakewood; and Kim
Maggard of Whitehall.