Following in the sensible shoes of Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen Degeneres, two women in Portugal tried to get married in the heavily Roman Catholic country. Though the women expected to be turned down, they still decided to try because, you know, it’s the right thing to do.

The couple is basing their case on Portugal's 1975 constitution, which bans sexual discrimination, arguing that two women have the same right to marry as a man and a woman. Portugal's civil code, however, bans same-sex marriages.

The couple will receive the formal response to their marriage request on Thursday but the women's lawyer, Luis Grave Rodrigues, said he was sure they would be denied.

Even though the girls will most likely be denied, the media attention surrounding their case is surely a good thing, especially considering neighboring Spain’s pro-gay stance. And afterall, the capitol of Portugal ain’t called Lisbon for nothin’.

Portuguese gay couple try to marry, change law [Reuters]