Decision in same-sex marriage case expected in June

WASHINGTON

Walking up the marble steps and into the gigantic, column-lined building Tuesday morning, married couple Kelly McCracken and Kelly Noe were overwhelmed by the energy — both negative and positive — of the crowd that had gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

The line wrapped around the building, culminating in hundreds directly in front of the courthouse steps.

Same-sex marriage protesters and advocates alike waved flags and signs, chanted, sang and shouted.

Hearing shouts and seeing signs — such as, one that read, “Perverts are an abomination to God” — from people protesting same-sex marriage was difficult for them, said McCracken. She originally is from Warren and now lives in a Cincinnati suburb with Noe and their 11-month-old daughter, Ruby.

McCracken and Noe are plaintiffs in the landmark same-sex marriage case for which the Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Tuesday. The court is considering two questions: Whether states are required to perform same-sex marriages, and whether they are obligated to recognize same-sex marriages performed out-of-state. A decision is expected in June.

Cases concerning same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan were combined and justices heard 21⁄2 hours of arguments Tuesday.

“There was a protester who was somehow let into the courtroom,” McCracken said, standing outside the courthouse after the hearing.  “He sat through the first round of arguments, and then burst out. He was screaming and told everybody that the Bible teaches that if you practice homosexual behavior, you burn in hell.”

McCracken’s mother, Pam Politsky Bernard of Warren, also expressed confusion at the negative reactions. Mostly, however, she seemed awestruck by her daughter.

“It makes me proud that she’s my daughter. Proud that she’s standing up for rights,” she said. 

“It’s amazing the lengths people will go through to protest when really, my wife and I getting married doesn’t affect [them] at all,” McCracken said. “It’s painful, because it’s just so ugly and hateful, when all we’re out here doing is preaching love.”

Read more about the case in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.