Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Key Cases Loom in Pennsylvania Gay Marriage Fight

Pennsylvania remains the only mid-Atlantic state that bans gay marriage, but several court fights this year could change that.

In Philadelphia, a federal judge has been asked to order Pennsylvania to recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere.

Lead plaintiffs Cara Palladino and Isabelle Barker have been married nine years. They believe most people don't see same-sex marriage as an issue anymore.

A February poll by Quinnipiac University shows that 57 percent of state voters support same-sex marriage, while 37 percent are opposed.

Lawyers for Republican Gov. Tom Corbett argue that other states shouldn't tell Pennsylvania how to define marriage.

Another key case is scheduled for federal court in Harrisburg in June. That's when the American Civil Liberties Union will seek to overturn the state ban on same-sex marriage.