MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis couple, who were plaintiffs in the Supreme Court same sex marriage case, and a local attorney celebrated the justices’ decision Friday.
“I was actually sitting in a barber’s chair watching CNN. I’ve never had such a hard time keeping still for a haircut,” said plaintiff Thom Kostura.
He spoke with WREG over the phone.
He said he and his husband are out of town, although they were not in Washington D.C. for the Supreme Court’s decision.
He was thrilled to hear the news.
“Yes, Memphis definitely made history,” Kostura said.
It was national news with a Memphis tie.
Kostura and his husband, Ijpe Dekoe, live here.
The couple got married in New York in 2011.
When the military moved them here, they sued the state to recognize their marriage, but that ruling only applied to the people named in the lawsuit.
Their wish for marriage rights for all couples led their case to the Supreme Court.
“I was in the courtroom. I was very right up front, front row seating, and it was, everyone was holding their breath,” said Memphis attorney Maureen Holland.
She was one member of the team of attorneys who fought for same sex marriage at the Supreme Court.
WREG spoke with her over the phone.
She was in D.C., because no one knew exactly when the decision would come.
“We were hoping and thought there was a good chance that Justice Kennedy would author the opinion and that that would help with a 5-4 majority vote. And it was true,” Holland said.
While many on the WREG Facebook page posted reasons for disagreeing with the decision, Kostura believes the Mid-South helped make this possible.
“The grit and the grind, and you know, Memphis was behind us in this lawsuit,” Kostura said.
Kostura said he and Dekoe were heading to San Francisco where they have been invited to ride on a float for Pride Parade.