BITTERSWEET VICTORY

Ohio Judge Recognizes Out-of-State Gay Marriage

Couple wins right to be buried together.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a Cincinnati gay couple can be buried together, recognizing a marriage in Maryland that is not legal in Ohio. Judge Timothy Black ordered that the death certificate of John Arthur must show that James Obergefell is his surviving spouse, meaning the pair can be buried together in Arthur’s family plot. Arthur is deteriorating rapidly from Lou Gehrig’s disease, and they said in their lawsuit that “they very much want the world to remember and record their union as a married couple.” Black ruled that “dying with an incorrect death certificate that prohibits Mr. Arthur from being buried with dignity constitutes irreparable harm.” Although Black’s order was specific to this case, gay-marriage advocates were cheered by the ruling.