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| Judy Trampf and Katy Heyning, one of the couples seeking to become part of the lawsuit that will determine the fate of domestic partnerships in Wisconsin. |
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a motion before the Dane County Circuit Court on behalf of five same-sex couples asking that the couples be allowed to participate in a lawsuit that will decide whether the state’s domestic partner law violates Wisconsin’s anti-gay marriage amendment. Anti-gay activists have asked the Court to strike down the domestic partner law as inconsistent with the marriage amendment.
Prior to the current lawsuit, the same activists petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court directly, claiming that they needed a speedy trial because the modest legal protections granted to same-sex couples through the law somehow affected the marriages of straight couples. The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed the case, leaving the petitioners the option of filing in circuit court where both sides will be able to develop and present evidence to support their cases.
Status: Victory! Judge upholds domestic partnership law.