Supporters Of Same-Sex Marriage Urge Attorney General To Drop Appeal

A federal appeals court Friday set a timeline for arguments in an appeal of recent rulings striking down Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage. 

There are three separate lawsuits involving same sex couples that won challenges of Indiana’s same-sex marriage ban.  The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is consolidating those rulings into one appeal and asking for legal briefs from the state by early August.  But Marriage Equality, a recently-formed group supporting same sex marriage, is asking Attorney General Greg Zoeller not to go forward with the state’s appeal, and delivered a petition with more than 12,000 signatures to Zoeller’s office. 

Erin Fox married her wife Jennifer Wednesday at the Marion County Clerk’s office after the ruling was handed down.  She says she thinks the momentum of same sex marriage cases around the country makes Zoeller’s appeal a waste of time.

“We’ve waited a long time for this and there was so much excitement on Wednesday and so much happiness and so much love being in the county clerk’s office that it would just be a disappointment,” Fox said.

Gov. Mike Pence, Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem David Long issued statements supporting Zoeller’s appeal in the wake of Wednesday’s ruling, saying the state should have the right to define marriage.