Hazel Park Couple: 'We Are Looking Forward To Winning Marriage Equality In The U.S.'
FERNDALE (WWJ/AP) -- The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear a case which could decide whether bans on same-sex marriage could be illegal throughout the United States.
Meantime, WWJ Newsradio 950's Stephanie Davis was on hand as the Michigan couple who started the fight against the state's ban on gay marriage spoke publicly about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take up the issue.
Exciting, thrilled and overwhelming are the words used by April Deboer and Jayne Rowse as they described how they feel, knowing the country's highest court will decide the gay marriage issue that they helped propel.
The couple took up the fight against the state's voter-approved constitutional ban on gay marriage after they were unable to adopt each others children without being married. Rowse said that she was in awe of the moment.
"We are proud and thrilled to be the people who are representing Michigan," Rowse told the crowd at a press conference in Ferndale on Friday. "This is probably the greatest day in my great lesbian life that I've had and we're in awe."
Deboer and Rowse raise their four children in Hazel Park.
"We are really looking forward to going on to the Supreme Court and winning marriage equality in the United States now," Deboer said.
Proponents of same-sex marriage said they expect the court to settle the matter once and for all with a decision that invalidates state provisions that define marriage as between a man and a woman.
"We are now that much closer to being fully recognized as a family, and we are thrilled," said DeBoer. "This opportunity for our case to be heard by the Supreme Court gives us and families like ours so much reason to be hopeful."
Attorney General Eric Holder said the Obama administration would urge the court "to make marriage equality a reality for all Americans."
On the other side, advocates for traditional marriage want the court to let the political process play out, rather than have judges order states to allow same-sex couples to marry.
"The people of every state should remain free to affirm marriage as the union of a man and a woman in their laws," said Austin R. Nimocks, senior counsel for the anti-gay marriage group Alliance Defending Freedom.
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