OKC Pride, Cimarron host Okla. Marriage Equality lawsuit plaintiffs

Oklahoma City, OK, March 12, 2014 – Kindt Steven Myers, president of OKC Pride, announced today that the four women at the center of Oklahoma’s marriage equality lawsuit -- Mary Bishop, Sharon Baldwin, Sue Barton and Gay Phillips – will attend a meet-and-greet, question-and-answer event on March 29, 2014, at Chi Gallery (2300 NW 17th St.) in Oklahoma City.

“It is expected that matters surrounding the state’s same-sex constitutional marriage ban will begin to move very quickly in the coming months,” Myers said, adding that the four women have agreed to serve as this year’s Pride 2014 Parade grand marshals. “That said, OKC Pride wants to do everything we can to create as much awareness as possible, and to aid in putting these four amazing civil rights pioneers out front at every opportunity.”

The event will begin at 4 p.m. with a one-hour, press-only question-and-answer session. A meet-and-greet event will follow from 5-7 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event will be co-hosted by Cimarron Alliance Equality Center and The Gayly.

“We want everyone to be up to date on the very latest information surrounding this ground-breaking case,” Myers said. “Plus, this will be an excellent opportunity to get better acquainted with four ladies who, I suspect, will be judged by history as nothing short of heroes.”

Of note:

On Nov. 3, 2004, Oklahoma voters approved a state constitutional amendment limiting marriage in the state to opposite-gender couples. On Nov. 4, two Tulsa-area lesbian couples -- Mary Bishop & Sharon Baldwin and Sue Barton & Gay Phillips -- sued the state and federal governments for the right to marry and for recognition of the marriages of same-gender couples.

In the years since then, Sue and Gay have gotten married in both Canada and California. Together 29 years, they are now fighting for the right to have their marriage recognized by the state of Oklahoma. Mary and Sharon, who have been together 17 years, are still fighting for the right to marry in Oklahoma.

On January 14th, 2014, a U.S. Senior District Judge ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ruling was immediately stayed, pending appeal.

- OKC Pride Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit, funded by community donations, membership dues and business sponsorship. Visit www.okcpride.org for more information.

Published 3/12/2014 @ 7:45am