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Gay Marriage Supporters Line Up to Hear Federal Challenge to Ban

Gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana were ruled unconstitutional in June, and the cases were combined on appeal.
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CHICAGO — About 200 people have lined up outside a Chicago courtroom to hear arguments before a federal appeals court in a legal challenge to the gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was set to hear oral arguments Tuesday. Both states' gay marriage bans were ruled unconstitutional in June, and the cases were combined on appeal.

Crowds of spectators were hoping to get inside the 25th-floor courtroom, some arriving as early as 5 a.m. Among them was Ruth Morrison, a retired Indianapolis Fire Department battalion chief. She says Indiana won't recognize her out-of-state marriage, so she can't pass on pension and other benefits to her wife. The attorneys general in Indiana and Wisconsin say states should have the authority to set marriage standards.

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—The Associated Press