Congresswoman Chellie Pingree praised the work of Maine lawyer Mary Bonauto, who argued for marriage equality in front of the U. S. Supreme Court this morning. The case will determine whether or not gay and lesbian couples throughout the country have a Constitutional right to marry.
"Mary did a great job today making the case that if a loving, committed couple wants to marry, the government should not stand in their way," Pingree said. "Maine and thirty-six other states have guaranteed equal treatment for gay and lesbian couples, but they are still treated like second-class citizens in some parts of the country. I'm hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of love and commitment and bring marriage equality to every couple, no matter where they live."
Pingree, a long-time advocate of marriage equality, joined 166 of her House colleagues and 44 Senators in filing an amicus brief in support of marriage equality in the case heard by the Supreme Court today.
In 2009, Pingree took to the House floor after Maine became just the fifth state in the country to recognize gay marriage. (Video here.) In the six years since then, thirty-two additional states have embraced marriage equality and now over 60% of the American public supports equal rights for gay and lesbian couples.
