On this day two years ago, the ACLU of Nebraska and law firm Koenig Dunne filed a historic federal lawsuit on behalf of seven same-sex couples seeking recognition of their out-of-state marriages or seeking the freedom to marry in Nebraska.
Plaintiffs included Susan and Sally Waters of Omaha. When the suit was filed, they had been together for seventeen years. In the year before, Sally had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which eventually progressed to stage four.
"We have said publicly before God, our family and our friends that we love each other and are committed to one another and our children," Waters said in 2014. "At this moment, I want to spend time loving my children and my wife while knowing that should I die, they will be cared for. By not recognizing my family, Nebraska is making a difficult situation much more difficult emotionally and financially."
Meet all of the couples who joined in suing for the freedom to marry
All plaintiffs alleged that the state’s marriage ban unlawfully discriminated against gay and lesbian couples and their children. Then, on March 3, 2015, the District Court of Nebraska granted the couples’ injunction and ruled that the ban was unconstitutional. The decision was stayed pending appeals until a few months later, when the Supreme Court ruled in another ACLU case, Obergefell v. Hodges, that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional – giving couples in all 50 states the freedom to marry.
The ACLU has a long history of supporting and defending the LGBT community. In Nebraska, the ACLU supported the state's first attempt to expand nondiscrimination protections through an ordinance in Lincoln in 1982 and filed our first marriage litigation case in 2003.
Now, at a time when those in the highest offices are threatening basic rights, it is important to support the ACLU’s efforts to protect these rights.
Our goal is to build a Nebraska where LGBT people can live openly, where identities, relationships, and families are respected and a state where fair treatment on the job, in schools, housing, public places, and health care do not depend on who you are or who you love.
Learn more about the fight for fairness and equality for LGBT Nebraskans
2016 is the 50th anniversary of the ACLU of Nebraska. We will feature several memories from our five decades of defending freedom in the Cornhusker state here. Do you have a favorite memory? Share it with us!
