Ohio Sued by 6 Couples Seeking to Void Gay-Marriage Ban

Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage was challenged by six gay couples as unconstitutional in a lawsuit that further expands nationwide litigation over an issue that is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since the high court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act in June, no state has successfully argued it has a “compelling interest or rational basis” for barring same-sex marriage, the couples said yesterday in a complaint filed in Cincinnati federal court. Gay-marriage proponents have prevailed in at least 10 state and federal lawsuits since September. Same-sex marriage is legal in 21 states, though stays are in place in four of those with appeals pending.