A federal judge will hear arguments
next week in a legal challenge to Mississippi's decade-old ban on gay
marriage.
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves will
hear arguments in the case on Wednesday at 9 AM.
The
Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) filed the lawsuit last month
on behalf of Andrea Sanders and Rebecca Bickett, who wish to marry in
Mississippi, and Jocelyn Pritchett and Carla Webb, who want their
marriage celebrated in Maine to be recognized by Mississippi.
Lead counsel for the plaintiffs is
Roberta Kaplan, who also led the legal team in the landmark Supreme
Court Windsor decision that struck down a critical provision
of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) last year. Windsor has
played a significant role in cases challenging state marriage bans.
Rev. Jasmine
Beach-Ferrara, executive director of CSE, said in a statement that
the issue was critical for gay couples in Mississippi, 26 percent of
whom are raising children, according to figures published by the
Williams Institute.
“Equality cannot
come quickly enough to Mississippi for these families,” said
Beach-Ferrara.