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ACLU and others seek to legalize same-sex marriage in New Mexico
ACLU and others seek to legalize same-sex marriage in New Mexico
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and others on Tuesday asked the state’s Supreme Court to rule on the issue of same-sex marriage.
The ACLU was joined by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Albuquerque law firm Sutin, Thayer & Brown PC and Albuquerque attorneys Maureen Sanders, Kate Girard and Lynn Perls.
Using a special legal action known as a writ of mandamus, the groups are seeking to have the New Mexico Supreme Court resolve the issue without waiting for lower courts to rule.
The groups noted the state’s definition of marriage was already gender-neutral. Marriage is simply defined as “a civil contract, for which the consent of the contracting parties, capable in law of contracting, is essential.” State law only prohibits marriage “based on age and degree of familial relationship between the contracting parties.”
The groups also argued interpreting New Mexico law to exclude same-sex couples from marriage violated the state constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
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Full article here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/03/aclu-and-others-seek-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage-in-new-mexico/
