The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri has filed suit, trying to overturn the state’s refusal to accept same-sex marriage.
The suit is in the name of a Kansas City couple and seven others around the State.
The suit assumes public attitudes have changed since the Missouri Constitution was altered to ban same-gender marriage a decade ago.
Jim MacDonald and Andy Schuerman were legally married in Canada and are raising Schuerman’s biological 3-year old daughter, Grace.
MacDonald has legally adopted the child and said he isn’t too concerned about society accepting her parentage.
MacDonald does worry though about legal acceptance.
“If I died, for example, it would be perhaps not possible for her to get social security death benefits," says MacDonald. "That’s one of the thousand things we don’t have the same access to.”
The suit is filed in Jackson County Circuit Court and litigation could drag on for years.
