Blog post by Jeffrey Mittman, Executive Director of the ACLU of Missouri
On Monday, Alabama beat Missouri to become the 37th state with the freedom to marry.
Sure, Alabama leap-frogged Missouri down the aisle, but our marriage victories are bringing us ever closer to the day when gay and lesbian couples throughout the entire state of Missouri will be able to marry.
It was just one year ago when we announced our marriage recognition case, Barrier v. Vasterling. What a year it’s been for marriage equality.
- Our October win in Barrier paved the way for a myriad of agencies to offer benefits to all legally married couples. The Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan opened coverage to same-sex spouses of Missouri employees, retirees and family members. The Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs now recognize the marriages of all Missourians, regardless of their sexual orientation, for all purposes of federal law. This gives all married couples and their families the security and benefits they deserve.
- Thanks in part to our win in Lawson v. Jackson County, same-sex couples can now obtain marriage licenses in some parts of the state. We have more work to do before the rest of the state follows this lead. The state of Missouri is appealing our decision and arguments will be heard, along with marriage cases from Arkansas and South Dakota, before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in mid-May.
- The United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in four freedom-to-marry cases, two of which will be represented by the national ACLU in April. It is our hope that these cases will resolve the marriage debate once and for all. The Court could decide as early as June.
As you can tell, there are many roads to marriage and our final destination is within reach. Nearly 72 percent of the U.S. population lives in a state with the freedom to marry!
The fight is not over, but rest assured that we are doing our best to make sure Missouri becomes one of those states in the very near future. To keep abreast of the rapidly changing landscape, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
