The State of Michigan’s highly anticipated gay marriage trial began Tuesday in Detroit, where a Federal judge will hear the pros and cons of raising children in same-sex families and rule on the definition of marriage in Michigan.
update Tuesday 4:00 PM
Same-Sex Parenting Goes On Trial In Detroit by RICK PLUTA
Michigan Public Radio Network's Rick Pluta provided live updates during Tuesday's trial:
On site at Detroit federal court for DeBoer v Snyder challenge to MI's ban on same-sex marriage; will B live-tweeting arguments.
— Rick Pluta (@rickpluta) February 25, 2014
Stay tuned to 89.1 WEMU for a recap on the matter during All Things Considered with Bob Eccles.
Update Tuesday 10:20 am
From the Associated Press
Two Detroit-area nurses challenging Michigan's ban on gay marriage are in a federal courtroom in Detroit as the trial gets underway today. Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer walked past more than a dozen protesters who held signs supporting heterosexual marriage. DeBoer told reporters today, "Nothing says family like a marriage license."
They're asking federal Judge Bernard Friedman to strike down a Michigan constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage only between a man and a woman. They say it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The trial could last two weeks. Sociologists and other scholars will testify about marriage, children and family.