ACLU to Challenge Virginia Gay Marriage Ban

The American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a federal lawsuit challenging Virginia’s gay marriage ban, according to its website.

The Supreme Court less than two weeks ago struck down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, meaning the federal government can no longer discriminate against same-sex married couples.

The court also preserved a lower court ruling overturning a gay marriage ban in California.

The ACLU and gay rights advocacy group Lambda Legal plan to argue that Virginia’s constitutional amendment violates the federal guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Arlington County Board Vice Chairman Jay Fisette, who in 1997 became Virginia’s first openly gay elected official, called the recent Supreme Court rulings an important step to marriage equality.

The ACLU on Tuesday launched concurrent similar cases in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, which also have laws restricting gay marriage.

U.S. Rep. Frank  Wolf, R-Va., recently signed on to a bill to maintain the federal ban on same-sex marriage.