(Ep_Jhu/Creative Commons)

These couples used the recent district and federal court cases to support their arguments against the defendant, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. Recently, federal courts have overturned constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling made in June states that the federal government must recognize valid same-sex marriages.

The four Idaho couples are Sue Latta and Traci Ehlers, Lori and Sharene Watsen, Shelia Robertson and Andrea Altmayer, and Amber Beierle and Rachel Robertson. Of the four, two couples - Latta and Ehlers and the Watsens - have been legally married in the states of California and New York, respectively. The other two couples have not been allowed to attain marriage licenses in Idaho.

The defendant, Gov. Otter, vehemently opposes the plaintiff’s efforts to receive a favorable ruling without a trial. He has contended that overturning the ban would be detrimental to the children of the state, whom he believes are benefited by stable, heterosexual marriages. According to an Associated Press article, Gov. Otter’s attorneys stated:

“Common sense and a wealth of social-science data teach that children do best emotionally, socially, intellectually and even economically when reared in an intact home by both biological parents.”

The article continues by stating, “The women contend Otter's stance has no basis in reality and say the state's ban on gay marriage is nothing more than discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.”