ARIZONA: Marriage Lawsuit Filed

Four Arizona gay couples yesterday filed a class action suit against the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

The suit, which names Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Attorney General Tom Horne and County Clerk Michael Jeanes as defendants, was filed by attorneys Shawn and Ellen Aiken. It claimed that a voter-approved ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. "The plaintiffs are asking that the court strike or reverse Arizona's ban on same-sex marriage," said Shawn Aiken. "Right now, the state constitution prohibits same-sex marriage." The suit would allow same-sex couples to be married and would recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states. "I think it is a game-changer in Arizona," said Aiken. "I think most people expect that this issue will eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." In the suit, the couples describe various hardships caused by the state for not recognizing their relationship. Most focus on medical treatments, but some have to do with custody over adopted children.

While marriage lawsuits are well underway in many states, this is the first such suit in Arizona.