Wisconsin appeals gay marriage case to high court

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that the state’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional.

Van Hollen, a Republican, filed the request Tuesday. It’s unclear when the high court might respond.

Civil rights advocates sued the state in February, saying the gay marriage ban violates same-sex couples’ equal protection rights. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb declared the ban unconstitutional in June, and hundreds of gay couples wed before she put the ruling on hold a week later pending appeal.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld Crabb’s decision last week, rejecting the state’s argument that straight marriages are tradition.

Same-sex marriages remain on hold in Wisconsin until the Supreme Court decides not to take the case or rules.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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