USDA To Host Rural Pride

The US Department Of Agriculture and the National Center for Lesbian Rights will hold a Rural Pride event in Jackson, Mississippi on August 14th. 

 #RuralPride is a series of summits across the country to elevate the voices of LGBT people and families in rural communities, explore how these communities are particularly vulnerable, and discuss proposed and enacted federal policy changes that can increase equality and access for rural LGBT people and their families. The #RuralPride summits center on LGBT experiences in rural America, including increased rates of economic insecurity, lack of family and nondiscrimination protections, the relationship between LGBT and faith communities, and the heightened challenges facing rural LGBT youth and rural LGBT people of color. The #RuralPride summit series is a partnership between NCLR and USDA that challenges the stereotype that LGBT people only live in metropolitan areas by raising awareness of the particular issues faced by LGBT rural communities.

The event will be co-hosted by Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund. More details.

Obama Appoints Transman Shannon Minter To White House Fellowships Post

President Obama today named National Center for Lesbian Rights legal director Shannon Minter to the President's Commission On White House Fellowships.  The White House's press release recounts Minter's many accomplishments:

He has served at NCLR since 1993, first as a National Association of Public Interest Law Fellow and then Senior Staff Attorney. Mr. Minter has lectured and served as an adjunct professor at various universities, including Santa Clara Law School in 2004, the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2003, and Stanford Law School in 2001. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute and the Board of Directors of Gender Spectrum. Mr. Minter is a former member of the American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, the Board of Directors of Equality California, and the Advisory Board of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. He received Stanford Law School’s National Public Service Award in 2008, the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World Award in 2005, and the Equality California Justice Award in 2005. Mr. Minter received a B.A. from University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.

Hit Minter's name in the post labels for the many mentions of his work with the NCLR.

BREAKING: Oregon Bans "Ex-Gay" Torture

Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Today, the Oregon State Senate passed HB 2307, a bill that will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the State House on March 17 and is now heading to the desk of Governor Kate Brown who is expected to sign it into law. When signed into law, Oregon will become the fourth jurisdiction—behind California, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia—to pass legislation protecting LGBT youth from the serious harms caused by these practices, which have been linked to substance abuse, serious depression, and even suicide.

HRC and NCLR have partnered with state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation to end this dangerous practice, including laws passed in California, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. In August of 2013, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s ban which was signed into law by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown in 2012. On Monday May 4, 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to upheld New Jersey’s ban which was signed into law by Republican Governor Chris Christie in August of 2013. NCLR attorneys have assisted in the defense of every state bill to date.

Time for another round of losses for the Liberty Counsel!

Kate Kendell On The SCOTUS Arguments

Kendell is the head of the NCLR.

LOUISIANA: Lesbian High School Student Wins Battle To Wear Tuxedo To Her Prom

From the NCLR:

Today, Carroll High School Principal Patrick Taylor and Monroe City School Board President Bishop Rodney McFarland Sr. contacted Claudetteia Love, who is being represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), to inform her that she will be allowed to wear a tuxedo to her senior prom on April 24. Last week, Claudetteia, 17, was told by Principal Taylor that she would not be allowed to attend her prom if she wore a tuxedo. Geraldine Jackson, Claudetteia’s mother, met with Principal Taylor to discuss this further and was reportedly told that “girls wear dresses and boys wear tuxes, and that's the way it is.” Principal Taylor also reportedly claimed that approximately half of the faculty scheduled to work at the prom would refuse to chaperone if Claudetteia were permitted to wear a tuxedo. Claudetteia and several of her friends originally planned on attending the prom together, but, because of the school’s refusal to allow Claudetteia to wear a tuxedo, have opted not go to the prom unless the school changes its discriminatory policy. The negative response against Principal Taylor’s decision was swift. Two members of the Monroe County Board of Education, which oversees Carroll High School, vowed to ensure that Claudetteia would be allowed to wear a tuxedo to her prom.

Love's mother: "I am proud of Claudetteia for standing up for her right to wear a tuxedo to prom and for being true to herself."

Who Will Argue For Us At SCOTUS?

As the date for oral arguments before SCOTUS draws closer, LGBT groups have been jockeying for position. Chris Geidner reports on yesterday's developments at Buzzfeed:

Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the six cases out of four states before the Supreme Court asked the justices to split the April 28 arguments, which will include 90 minutes focused on whether states can ban same-sex couples from marrying and 60 minutes focused on whether states can refuse to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages, between four lawyers.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers have asked the court to split the marriage question between the Michigan and Kentucky teams and to split the marriage recognition question between the Ohio and Tennessee teams. The letter did not, however, announce who would be arguing in each spot.

What’s more, those four as-of-yet unnamed lawyers support the request of Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. to also argue in support of marriage equality — meaning a total of five lawyers, each with 15 minutes, likely will appear at the podium to present arguments in support of marriage and marriage recognition.

On the other side of the arguments, the situation is much more simple. On the marriage question, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office has announced that the state’s former solicitor general, John Bursch, will be arguing in defense of state bans on same-sex couples’ marriages. Joe Whalen, the associate solicitor general in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, will argue in defense of the recognition bans.

Hit the link for the full responses from both sides.

ALABAMA: Civil Rights Groups File Class Action Demand For Marriage Equality

Via press release:

A group of leading national civil rights organizations today filed a motion requesting a federal district court to expand a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage and to order all county probate judges in the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The joint motion was filed by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The request, filed as part of a lawsuit brought by five same-sex couples who previously obtained an order from the same court requiring issuance of marriage licenses in Mobile County, seeks class-action status that would include all same-sex couples in Alabama who wish to marry and have their marriage recognized by the state.

The motion requests that the federal district court expand their lawsuit to cover all county probate judges in the state. In Alabama, probate judges are responsible for issuing marriage licenses. Today’s filing requests the federal district court order to require all probate judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday halted same-sex marriages in the state despite the U.S Supreme Court’s refusal to stay a lower court’s decision invalidating the ban. “If Alabama officials thought we were going to sit back and allow them to deny same-sex couples their constitutional right to marry, they thought wrong,” said Ayesha N. Khan, legal director of Americans United. “We are going to fight for these couples.

See the full filing.

ARKANSAS: LGBT Groups Issue Last Minute Veto Plea To Governor

Two weeks ago the Arkansas legislature approved a bill that would ban any municipality from enacting LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances. Without a veto from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, that law goes into effect tomorrow. Yesterday Lambda Legal, the ACLU, GLAD, and the NCLR issued a last-minute plea to Hutchinson.

SB 202 was passed to thwart cities like Fayetteville and Eureka Springs that recently have enacted sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination protections. So if Governor Hutchinson allows this bill to take effect, it will amount to a giant, flashing “Gays Stay Away” sign. It will block sincere local efforts to show that Arkansas communities are welcoming places beckoning talent, innovation and workforce diversity. It will do precisely what Arizona’s Governor Brewer decided to avoid last year when she vetoed that state’s “discrimination as religion” bill.

Recalling Colorado's fatally flawed Amendment 2, which years ago explicitly targeted lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (and not heterosexuals), many are asking whether SB 202 is a similarly unconstitutional denial of equal protection. When the Supreme Court struck down Amendment 2 in Romer v. Evans, it underscored that the case record revealed anti-gay "animus" propelling the popular vote and no legitimate government reasons for precluding local nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, and for no one else.

It is that manifest and dangerously discriminatory purpose that causes so many to call out the equal protection problem at the heart of SB 202. Every lawmaker who voted for this bill has taken an oath to uphold both the Arkansas Constitution and the United States Constitution. Both charters contain equal protection guarantees. Governor Hutchinson has taken that oath as well. He also has pledged to shepherd the State's economy. We call on him to honor both commitments by vetoing SB 202.

ALABAMA: Judge Granade Sets Thursday Hearing For Mobile County Judge

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Moments ago, United States District Judge Callie V. S. Granade granted the request of four Mobile County same-sex couples to add Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis as a defendant in a lawsuit in which Judge Granade previously struck down Alabama’s marriage equality ban as violating the federal Constitution. Judge Granade scheduled a hearing for this Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 1:00 PM CT in the U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 2B, 113 St. Joseph Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602.

Late Monday, four same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in Mobile earlier in the day filed an emergency motion asking Judge Granade to instruct Davis to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as Judge Granade previously ordered.

The Alabama couples are James Strawser and John Humphrey, who previously obtained a ruling from Judge Granade declaring that Alabama’s exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional, Meredith Miller and Anna Lisa Carmichael, Robert Povilat and Milton Persinger, and Kristy Simmons and Marshay Safford. The couples are represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Birmingham attorney Heather Fann, and the ACLU of Alabama.

Read the complaint.

IDAHO: Plaintiffs Oppose State's Demand That SCOTUS Hear Marriage Appeal

The National Center for Lesbian Rights today filed a motion which opposes Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's petition that SCOTUS hear an appeal of his state's same-sex marriage ruling. Equality Case Files has the motion:

The Court has already granted four petitions for writs of certiorari to decide the questions presented in this case. There is no cause to add yet more petitions, especially ones with vehicle problems. Nor should the Court hold these certiorari petitions pending its decision in the marriage cases from the Sixth Circuit. The Court has previously denied petitions for writs of certiorari by state officials seeking to block same-sex couples from marrying and to withhold recognition of such couples’ lawful marriages performed in other States. The Court should do the same here, notwithstanding the pendency of other marriage cases. Two of the respondent-couples have already married (as have many other residents of Idaho) in reliance on the injunction issued by the district court in this case, and their marriages should no longer be subject to the uncertainty created by ongoing litigation. The petitions should be denied.

The NCLR notes that the Ninth Circuit Court has already twice slapped Otter down.

ALABAMA: NCLR Steps In To Represent Lawyer-Less Couple In Marriage Case

The first couple to win a same-sex marriage suit without a lawyer will not have that problem for their appeal. Just in from the NCLR:

Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) asked a federal appeals court to permit same-sex couples in Alabama to begin obtaining marriage licenses when an existing federal court stay expires on February 9. NCLR filed the request on behalf of a Mobile couple who were denied a marriage license and subsequently obtained an order from a federal district court prohibiting enforcement of Alabama’s laws prohibiting marriage for same-sex couples. NCLR will represent the couple as the State of Alabama’s appeal from that order proceeds.

James Strawser and John Humphrey applied for a marriage license in Mobile County, Alabama, but were denied. Strawser faces significant health issues. Despite having a medical power of attorney, Humphrey was told by a hospital where Strawser was receiving medical treatment that they would not honor the document because Humphrey was not a family member or spouse.

The couple filed a federal challenge to Alabama’s marriage ban without an attorney. After a hearing at which the couple testified, Judge Callie V. S. Granade of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Alabama issued an order on January 26, 2015, prohibiting the state from enforcing its marriage ban. The court temporarily stayed its order. Unless the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals or the United States Supreme Court enters a further stay, the district court’s stay will be lifted on February 9, and Alabama will be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples at that time.

Earlier this week Alabama AG Luther Strange petitioned the Eleventh Circuit Court to continue the stay until SCOTUS makes its ruling.

LGBT Rights Groups React To SCOTUS

Freedom To Marry

"The Supreme Court's decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide - and it's time," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. "Freedom to Marry's national strategy has been to build a critical mass of marriage states and critical mass of support for ending marriage discrimination, and after a long journey and much debate, America is ready for the freedom to marry. But couples are still discriminated against in 14 states, and the patchwork of discrimination harms families and businesses throughout the country. We will keep working hard to underscore the urgency of the Supreme Court's bringing the country to national resolution, so that by June, all Americans share in the freedom to marry and our country stands on the right side of history."

People For The American Way

“This is unquestionably an important step towards marriage equality for all Americans,” said Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way Foundation. “Since the Sixth Circuit got this wrong and denied people in four states their basic rights, the Supreme Court did the right thing by taking these cases. Now the Court needs to do the right thing by making a clear statement about the Constitution’s guarantee of fundamental equality for all people. The time is long overdue for every American to have the right to marry the person they love.” “That said, this is likely to be yet another five-four decision from the Court that gave us Citizens United and Hobby Lobby and gutted the Voting Rights Act. That should be a reminder that our fundamental rights are in jeopardy in our nation’s highest court— and the future of the Court and these rights will be in the next President's hands. Americans should be able to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of ordinary Americans—whether that’s the right to marry, or to vote, or to be treated fairly on the job, or to control their own reproductive health.

National Center For Lesbian Rights

The Tennessee plaintiff couples are Dr. Valeria Tanco and Dr. Sophy Jesty of Knoxville; Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Ijpe DeKoe and Thom Kostura of Memphis; and Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo of Franklin. They are represented by Shannon Minter, Christopher F. Stoll, and David C. Codell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Tennessee attorneys Abby Rubenfeld, Maureen Holland, and Regina Lambert, and the law firms of Sherrard & Roe PLC and Ropes & Gray LLP. Today’s decision follows the couples’ request that the Supreme Court hear the case to ensure that the marriages of same-sex couples are treated equally across the country. “This is an important day because it means that our family will finally have an opportunity to share our story with the Court and explain how this discriminatory law hurts us each day,” said Tanco, who has a young daughter with Jesty. “We live in fear for ourselves and our little girl because we don’t have the same legal protections in Tennessee as other families. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will resolve this issue so we no longer need to live in fear.”

Lambda Legal

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it has granted review of all six marriage equality cases decided by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, including two Ohio cases litigated by Lambda Legal, the ACLU and Gerhardstein & Branch. The two cases are Henry v. Hodges, where Lambda Legal joined Gerhardstein & Branch, and Obergefell v. Hodges, where the ACLU joined Gerhardstein & Branch. Oral argument is expected to take place later this year. “After years of struggle and the dedicated work of thousands across the movement, we are finally within sight of the day when same-sex couples across the country will be able to share equally in the joys, protections and responsibilities of marriage,” said Jon W. Davidson, Legal Director and Eden/Rushing Chair at Lambda Legal. “While these cases will carry the marriage standard before the Supreme Court, they represent literally dozens of cases in state and federal courts nationwide and the collective effort of Lambda Legal, NCLR, the ACLU, GLAD, and other sister LGBT groups and private (often pro-bono) counsel dating back years.”

ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union and Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic are co-counsel in the two Kentucky cases, Bourke v. Beshear and Love v. Beshear, brought by lawyers at Clay Daniel Walton & Adams and the Fauver Law Office. These cases challenge Kentucky’s anti-marriage laws on the ground that they violate due process and equal protection provisions of the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU along with Lambda Legal and Gerhardstein & Branch are also co-counsel in the Ohio case, Obergefell, et al v. Hodges. “We are thrilled the court will finally decide this issue,” said James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project. “The country is ready for a national solution that treats lesbian and gay couples fairly. Every single day we wait means more people die before they have a chance to marry, more children are born without proper protections, more people face medical emergencies without being able to count on recognition of their spouses. It is time for the American values of freedom and equality to apply to all couples.”

FLORIDA: Activists Urge Bondi To Instruct State Agencies On Marriage Rights

The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Florida today issued a joint letter in which they urge Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to instruct state agencies regarding the rights of married same-sex couples.

Dear Attorney General Bondi: As counsel for the Plaintiffs in Pareto v. Ruvin, we write to request that your office immediately advise all state agencies in Florida that they are required under the orders issued by Judge Zabel on July 25, 2014 and January 5, 2015, and by Judge Hinkle on August 21, 2015 and January 1, 2015 in Brenner v. Scott, to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples. [snip]

As a result of Judge Zabel’s declarations and today’s order lifting the previously entered stay, all agencies of the State of Florida are immediately required to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples entered into in Florida. In addition, because of Judge Hinkle’s preliminary injunction in Brenner, Florida officials must recognize the out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples beginning January 6, 2015.

We urge your office immediately to advise all state agencies of these requirements. We also urge you to issue a public statement making clear that, as of today, the State of Florida will recognize for all purposes the marriages of same-sex couples. Because of urgent circumstances facing same-sex couples in Florida who are expecting babies just days from now, we particularly request that your office instruct the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics to inform health care facilities that, if a child is born to married same-sex parents, both parents are entitled to be listed on the child’s birth certificate. This is a matter of extreme urgency and constitutional imperative, and we urge your office to act expeditiously on this matter.

If anybody runs into any problems, I'd advise contacting Equality Florida at once.

NCLR Celebrates Miami-Dade County

"This is a pivotal moment not just for Miami but for the entire country. Florida is a bellwether state, and I can think of no more encouraging sign as the US Supreme Court prepares to decide whether to resolve this issue for the entire country at its next conference on January 9, and as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in the Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana marriage cases the same day. This is an incredibly important week for marriage equality, and we are so thrilled that Miami couples are leading the charge." - Shannon Minter, legal director for NCLR, who represented the Miami couples.

Equality Florida & NCLR To Clerks: You Are Compelled To Issue Marriage Licenses

Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights today issued a joint memo to all 67 Florida county clerks. From the concluding paragraph:

Florida county court clerks should follow Judge Hinkle’s ruling and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples beginning January 6, 2015. The advice provided to the Clerks Association in legal memoranda from a private law firm is incorrect in key respects, including in failing to acknowledge that: (1) a federal court order is binding not only on the parties to the case, but also on all “persons who are in active concert or participation with” any of the parties; (2) non-party government officials may choose to comply with a federal district court ruling that a law is unconstitutional, even when they are not technically bound by the ruling; (3) an unconstitutional law is void and unenforceable; and (4) county clerks who follow Judge Hinkle’s ruling could not be held criminally liable for doing so because they would not have the required specific criminal intent.

Read the full memo.

Quote Of The Day - Shannon Minter

"Any Florida clerk who refuses to follow the Constitution's command and who withholds marriage licenses from couples once the stay expires is on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of the law.  A discredited memo from a law firm won't provide much protection against the risk of being sued for unconstitutional actions and being held liable for any damages - and attorney fees - incurred by couples as a result of withholding the freedom to marry. There is one Constitution, Florida is one state, and all Floridians are entitled to equal treatment throughout the state." - Shannon Minter, Legal Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, via press release.

BREAKING: DC Bans "Ex-Gay" Torture

Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Today, the District of Columbia Council unanimously approved a bill that will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. When signed into law, Washington, D.C. will become the third jurisdiction—behind California and New Jersey—to pass legislation protecting LGBT youth from practices that are known to cause severe depression and even suicide. “Today, the DC Council sent a powerful message to LGBT youth and their families that they are accepted, supported, and loved,” said Samantha Ames, NCLR staff attorney and coordinator of the #BornPerfect campaign at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). “The Council has used its authority to protect our most vulnerable youth from dangerous and discredited pseudoscience that tells them who they are is wrong, and reaffirmed the consensus of every major medical and mental health organization that all children are born perfect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The Liberty Counsel fought those bills in both states, taking their fight against California's bill all the way to the Supreme Court, who smacked them down for the final time in June.

LGBT Groups Disappointed With President Obama's Plan For Immigration Reform

Via press release from Lambda Legal:

While we praise President Obama’s efforts to do what is in his executive power to improve immigration, we are deeply disappointed that his plan unfairly excludes many members of the LGBT community. President Obama’s plan allows immigrants who have children who are citizens or lawful permanent residents to obtain legal work documents and temporarily be protected from deportation. We urge President Obama to undertake reforms that are more LGBT-inclusive, such as recognizing length of residency as a stand-alone qualification. Thousands of LGBT immigrants, many who have fled countries where LGBT people are unprotected and subjected to horrific abuse and violence, have been waiting for humane immigration reform for years due to Congressional inaction and cannot afford to wait any longer.

This effort by the President does not absolve Congress of its responsibility to provide a permanent fix to our outdated immigration system so that it is fair to all the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US today, waiting to be fully American. So while we commend this order for providing much-needed immediate relief to many undocumented immigrants, we note that requiring individuals to have children disproportionately excludes LGBT immigrants who are childless because the barriers to creating a family are higher for people who cannot afford assisted reproduction or are disqualified from adoption by antigay laws. We need a plan that recognizes community ties and longtime residency.

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

We welcome today’s announcement as a first step towards repairing a broken and discriminatory immigration system that has victimized undocumented immigrants and their families, including at least 267,000 undocumented people who identify as LGBT. We applaud the vision and courage of our President in making good on his promise to act on immigration reform. We know that this is a first step and we are gratified that many of the cruel policies of the past will be replaced with more humane and effective strategies. However, we remain deeply concerned that the plan leaves out too many LGBT immigrant families. LGBT families are less likely to have legally recognized or biological relationships with each other, and thus relief based wholly on familial ties will exclude too many LGBT families. In addition, many of the restrictions requiring consistent employment and limiting access for people with non-violent criminal histories will disproportionately impact LGBT immigrants, especially in the transgender community.

TENNESSEE: National Center For Lesbian Rights Petitions SCOTUS On Marriage

Earlier today Lambda Legal and ACLU filed a demand that SCOTUS hear their appeal of the Sixth Circuit Court ruling in Ohio. This afternoon the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a coalition of local legal firms did the same regarding the Tennessee case. From their petition:

Beyond the many legal protections denied to petitioners, Tennessee’s refusal to recognize their legal marriages continually communicates to petitioners and other Tennesseans that the State regards petitioners and their families as second-class citizens. Mr. Mansell and Mr. Espejo worry that their young children will internalize these messages and believe that their family is inferior and not entitled to the same dignity as other Tennessee families. Drs. Tanco and Jesty also want to protect their newborn child from growing up under discriminatory laws that mark their family as different and less worthy. For Sgt. DeKoe, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Tennessee’s refusal to recognize his marriage to Mr. Kostura is particularly painful because he is denied the very rights — freedom, liberty, and equality - that he risked his life to protect.

Read the full petition.

UPDATE: JMG reader Jason writes to point out that the top-listed attorney, Abby Rubenfeld, is the real life sister of Paul Rubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman.

WYOMING: Federal Judge To Issue Same-Sex Marriage Ruling By Monday

Via the Casper Star-Tribune:

U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl plans to issue an order by Monday in a case that could legalize same-sex marriage in Wyoming. Skavdahl heard arguments from attorneys representing gay marriage advocates and the state during a Thursday morning hearing in Casper. He also listened to testimony from Laramie County Clerk Debra Lathrop, who is one of the defendants in the case. The judge said he would consider the arguments and examine a few more issues before issuing his ruling by 5 p.m. Monday. Gay marriage supporters say Wyoming should legalize same-sex marriage in light of an Oct. 6 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

This case was brought by the National Center For Lesbian Rights.