Louisiana Gay Marriage Lawsuit Planned

NEW ORLEANS - A gay rights group plans a legal challenge to the Louisiana Constitution's prohibition against recognizing same-sex marriages performed legally in other states.

The Forum for Equality Louisiana and four gay married couples have called a Wednesday news conference on the issue.

A draft of the group's planned lawsuit, obtained by The Associated Press, attacks the marriage recognition ban on several fronts.

For instance, it says state revenue department policy, based on the ban, essentially requires married same-sex couples who file joint federal tax returns to falsely claim they are single on state returns. The Forum says that's a violation, of free speech.

The suit challenges the state's refusal to recognize both members of a same-sex union as parents of a child born to them or adopted.