HURRY UP

Lawyers To Louisiana Supreme Court: Move It Along With The Marriage Equality Ruling, Please

impatienceLawyers from both sides of a same-sex marriage case in Louisiana are urging the state’s Supreme Court to hurry up and rule on the matter. Time is ticking, they say. And a little boy is in legal limbo.

Paul Baier and Josh Guillory, who have been arguing in support of same-sex marriage in the bayou state, say this particular case involves a pressing question about whether one of their clients can adopt the biological child of the other.

“At the heart of this matter is a 10-year-old little boy,” Guillory said.

Kyle Duncan, who has been arguing in favor of upholding the state’s ban, would also like the matter settled soon. He says that the U.S. Supreme Court “needs as much input as possible on this issue, especially from state supreme courts.”

The whole mess started last September, when a district ruled that the state’s 2004 ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional, despite the U.S. Supreme Court striking down DOMA in June 2013. The ruling ended up barring two lesbian mothers from adding both of their names to their child’s birth certificate. They took the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is also considering striking down bans in Mississippi and Texas. The 5th Circuit’s decision is currently pending.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court recently announced that it will take up the case of marriage equality in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, where same-sex marriage bans were upheld by a federal appeals court last year.

The high court’s ruling is expected to arrive by late June and will settle the splits among appellate courts. So far, most appellate decisions have ruled in favor of same-sex marriage advocates. Gay marriage is currently legal in 36 states with Alabama poised to become the 37th. We’ll soon see if Louisiana will be the 38th.

Related stories:

Five Homophobic Quotes From The First Federal Judge To Uphold A Marriage Ban (In Louisiana)

Louisiana’s Antigay Marriage Ruling Couldn’t Be More Vulnerable To Appeal

Louisiana Gay Dad Devastated After Ex Walks Away With Their Son

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