Mississippi can't put up barriers to gay marriage

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An attorney argues in court papers that Mississippi cannot be allowed to constantly put up new barriers to same-sex marriage.

Roberta Kaplan represents the Campaign for Southern Equality and two lesbian couples. They are trying to block an incoming state law lets clerks cite their own religious beliefs to recuse themselves from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex partners.

Kaplan and her clients filed a federal lawsuit in 2014 that helped overturn Mississippi's ban on gay marriage. Now, they are trying to reopen that lawsuit so they can try to prevent the religious-objections measure from becoming law July 1.

State attorneys argued in papers filed May 24 that the lawsuit should remain shut. In a response filed Wednesday, Kaplan argues the new law subjects gay couples to "second-class citizenship."

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The Gayly - 6/2/2016 @ 2:14 p.m.