2/24/12: MN DOMA Headed to State Supreme Court

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A lawsuit brought by three same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses may be headed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In 2010, three gay couples tried to obtain marriage licenses. They were turned them down because the state’s Defense of Marriage Act bars same-sex couples from marrying.

The trio filed suit alleging that their rights under the Minnesota Constitution were violated. In January, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss the state of Minnesota as a party to the lawsuit. Hennepin County is asking the Supreme Court to bring the state back into the case. Opponents of same-sex marriage say the case demonstrates the need for Minnesotans to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.