Federal Judge To Hear Ohio Gay Marriage Fight

[Capt. Obvious]

Source: Associated Press

Both sides of a fight over whether gay marriage should be recognized on Ohio death certificates despite a statewide constitutional ban were set to argue their cases in front of a federal judge in Cincinnati.

On one side are the two gay Ohio men who successfully got Judge Timothy Black to order their recently deceased spouses to be listed as married on their death certificates. They want that right afforded to all same-sex couples in Ohio who, like them, married in other states that allow gay marriage.

"This case is about love surviving death," their attorney, Al Gerhardstein, wrote in court documents. "The last record of a person's life on Earth should accurately state if the decedent is married and accurately name the surviving spouse."

Gerhardstein will ask Black to declare that Ohio's ban on gay marriage is a violation of constitutional rights and order funeral homes and coroners to document the marriages of gay couples on death certificates.

Read more: talkingpointsmemo.com/news/federal-judge-to-hear-ohio-gay-marriage-fight

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The next domino hopefully.

[Botany]

1. This couple flew from OH to MD to get married before one of them died so ...

.... they could be listed as married on the death certificate.



Some heartless people are still fighting about their love being real.

[Ken Burch]

2. And those people are keeping this fight going AT CHRISTMAS.

Baby "Jerusalem Slim" would NOT be down with that.

[Ms. Toad]

3. If they are going to keep the fight going,

the timing is not up to them. You have a certain period of time to appeal - and if you don't appeal in that time, you have lost the opportunity (and there are implications beyond just this case for skipping the opportunity). And the courts set the timing beyond that.

So feel free to argue about whether continuing the fight is consistent with the religious stance most of the people fighting this hold, but leave Christmas out of it since the timing is completely out of either side's control.

[we can do it]

4. Of course asshole Ohio will only consider dead gay peoples rights.

[Swede Atlanta]

5. I do not understand how so many people are so hateful.....

These two men loved one another. They journeyed to another state to be united in marriage and returned to their home state where one of them later died. How disgraceful of Ohio to not allow the deceased's death certificate to reflect his marital status.

This is where Christians, Muslims and many other religious sects that have become fascists when it comes to what is "acceptable" need to look more closely at their religious books as well as to look in the mirror.

One man-one woman was NOT the norm according to Biblical texts. King Solomon had lots of wives and concubines as an example.

No this is a segment of society that believe they should be allowed to dictate how others live their lives and if they cannot do that at least be sure that those "others" don't have the same benefits as them. They talk about "special rights". There has never been a request for a right beyond what heterosexual couples enjoy. It is asking for the SAME rights (and, by the way, responsibilities). Although when it comes to responsibilities some of the most vocal on this point forget they have responsibilities....hmmmm. Newt "the lizard" Gingrich comes to mind.

[Botany]

6. As a straight man living in Ohio I just don't get it.

These people are holding on to their hate because they see it as "a touchstone"
to what they see as their "Real America." But time will weed these people out
and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment will sooner or later make
gay marriage and gay rights the law of the land.

BTW don't judge all of Ohio on these haters because a bunch of good men and women
who were Ohioans came together and got the private jet and the flight to MD so the
couple could get married.