WASHINGTON – U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young ruled in Bowling v. Pence that Indiana’s law prohibiting the recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions is unconstitutional. The decision was stayed, pending an appeal.  Judge Young previously struck down the state’s marriage ban in a ruling on a case known as Baskin v. Bogan, which was consolidated with two other cases for an appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  A three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit in that case will hear arguments.

“Where you live should never determine your ability to have your marriage recognized,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Legal Director Sarah Warbelow.  “These discriminatory bans only serve to harm LGBT families, and they should be erased from our nation’s laws once and for all.”