NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge says that Tennessee must recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples while their lawsuit against the state works its way through the court system.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger issued a preliminary injunction barring Tennessee from enforcing state laws that prohibit recognition of their marriages. Trauger noted in a written memorandum that her order only applies to the three couples.
A preliminary injunction can only be granted in cases the judge believes the plaintiff will likely win.
The couples were legally married in other states. They filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee's laws that prohibit recognition of their marriages. In Tennessee, marriage between partners of the same gender is prohibited by state law and by a constitutional amendment approved in 2006.