Marriage Equality USA Urges SCOTUS to Establish Marriage Equality Nationwide

San Francisco/New York � Marriage Equality USA urges the United States Supreme Court to grant review of one or more of the five cases that it will discuss at its 9 January 2015 conference and to rule in favor of the freedom to marry nationwide later in 2015.

"The time is now, not just for marriage equality but for full constitutional protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all aspects of our lives," said John Lewis, Marriage Equality USA's Legal and Policy Director. "The marriage equality cases the high court will discuss early next January provide an ideal vehicle to establish that all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should have the freedom to marry the person they love and to pursue their dreams of happiness as they envision them. Thirty-five states already have marriage equality; it's time to make it all fifty."

The five cases that the Court will discuss arise out of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Steve Huesing, Marriage Equality USA's Board President stated: "When my partner proposed to me over three years ago, I had no doubt in my mind about who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We dream of marrying, surrounded by family and friends, in the backyard for my sister's beautiful home nestled in the woods in Michigan. But our dream remains unfulfilled because last month the federal appellate court upheld Michigan's denial of the freedom to marry for gay couples like us. Time is running out for my elderly mother, whom we really want to be there because of the intimate bond we share with her. We look to the Supreme Court to establish marriage equality for all Americans, including our family, now."