Attorneys for seven gay couples are asking a Montana judge to rule, prior to going to trial, that they’re being discriminated against by the state because it’s not allowing them the same rights as married couples under Montana’s Constitution.
In a motion for summary judgment filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court Friday, the attorneys say the couples aren’t seeking to be married, but simply want the same relationship recognition and abilities afforded to man-woman couples with that status – like decision-making authority in health care and end-of-life situations, filing joint tax returns and transferring assets if a partner dies without a will.
“The state can’t distinguish or give protections and benefits to one set of couples and deny it to another,” said Betsy Griffing, ACLU of Montana’s legal director. “With this motion, what we are saying is that we are entitled to judgment as a matter of law.”
Full Story from The Missoulian
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