Breaking: Lawsuit Filed Against Tennessee Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

The National Center for Lesbian Rights has just announced it will be filing a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee’s ban on same-sex marriage. In August, four same-sex couples attempted to obtain marriage licenses but were denied. At a press conference this morning in Nashville, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) explained why they are suing Tennessee. “The lawsuit argues that Tennessee’s laws prohibiting recognition of the couples’ marriages violates the federal Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process and the constitutionally protected right to travel between and move to other states.”

At this morning’s press conference, NCLR introduced the couples, who “include a full-time Army reservist and his husband and two professors of veterinary medicine, all formerly lived and married in other states and later moved to Tennessee to pursue careers and make new homes for their families,” according to a press release.

Noting that “Tennessee law currently prohibits recognition of their marriages and treats the couples as legal strangers,” NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter announced that “married couples should be able to travel and to live in any state knowing that their family is protected. Tennessee’s current law hurts same-sex couples and their children without helping anyone.”

“The couples are Dr. Valeria Tanco and Dr. Sophy Jesty of Knoxville; Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura of Memphis; Kellie Miller and Vanessa DeVillez of Greenbrier; and Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo of Franklin. The couples are represented by Nashville attorneys Abby R. Rubenfeld, William Harbison, Scott Hickman, Phil Cramer and John Farringer of the law firm of Sherrard & Roe, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and attorneys Maureen T. Holland of Memphis and Regina Lambert of Knoxville.”

In 2006, Tennessee added an amendment to their state constitution banning same-sex marriage, and defining marriage as only the union of one man and one woman.

As of today, fourteen states have extended marriage to same-sex couples. There are an estimated 33 lawsuits across 20 states challenging bans on same-sex marriage.

Update: Joe.My.God. points to Freedom to marry’s listing of same-sex marriage lawsuits across the nation.

Image by Tennessee Equality Project via Facebook