US: Ohio civil rights attorneys plan lawsuit against same-sex marriage ban

A lawsuit seeking to force the US state of Ohio to allow same-sex couples to marry is being planned by civil rights attorneys.

The lawsuit, due to be filed today, sought to allow gay and lesbian couples in the state to marry.

One of the attorneys, Al Gerhardstein, would not discuss the case until a news conference, also on Wednesday, reports the Associated Press.

Gerhardstein also filed a lawsuit in February which led to a judge ruling that the state must recognise the marriages of same-sex couples wed out of state.

Judge Timothy Black’s official ruling came earlier this month, meaning the state must recognise out-of-state same-sex marriages. He announced the intention make the week before making the ruling, and halted the enforcement of the ruling shortly afterwards.

A leading gay rights group last week sough to intervene in the case, to push for a ruling to allow gay couples to marry in the state.

Ohio voters approved a ban on same-sex marriage in 2004, and the state’s Attorney General plans to continue defending it.