Plaintiff In Same-Sex Marriage Legal Challenge Passes Away

A man who helped lead a challenge of Ohio's ban on same-sex marriage died today. John Arthur passed away of complications from Lou Gehrig's disease. Arthur and his longtime partner, James Obergefell, flew to Maryland in June to marry. They then sued for recognition of their marriage in Ohio so they can be buried next to each other in Arthur's family plot. A federal district judge ruled in favor of the couple, saying they deserve to be treated with respect and Ohio law historically has recognized out-of-state marriages as valid.