Advocates: Gay Marriage Rulings May Prompt South Dakota Case

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Officials of an organization that seeks to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation say federal court decisions overturning bans on same-sex marriage in two other states may lead to challenges to South Dakota's ban on gay marriage.

Don Frankenfeld of Equality South Dakota says he hopes the decisions in Oklahoma and Utah lead to a challenge in South Dakota, but he has not heard of anyone planning to file such a lawsuit. Lawrence Novotny, chairman of the organization, says a challenge might come from same-sex couples married in other states who now live in South Dakota.

State laws ban gay marriage and say South Dakota does not recognize same-sex marriages from other states. A 2006 state constitutional amendment says only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid.

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