Β CHARLOTTE, NC — Justices debating a gay marriage ban in Virginia say the case is headed to the Supreme Court. Β Political experts believe the outcome could affect North Carolina’s Amendment One.
Tuesday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on both sides. Β Judges are debating whether marriage is a fundamental right for Americans. Β At one point, the discussion turned to a ruling that allowed inmates to marry.
“You can be in prison, a ward of the state, and you can make a commitment to love and cherish someone, and the state could not prevent that,” said Fourth Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory. Β “Yet a person, because of a person’s sexual orientation, they don’t have that right in Virginia?”
The lawsuit stems from two same-sex couples living in Virginia. Β Two men want the state to award them a marriage license. Β And two women, married in California, want Virginia to recognize their union.
