Four Couples Sue Tennessee for Gay Marriage Recognition

Were legally married in other states

Four Tennessee same-sex couples, including one from Franklin and another from Greenbrier, have filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Tennessee to force the state to recognize their legal marriages from other states.

The four couples were married in New York or California, where same-sex marriages are legal, and argue that Tennessee's refusal to recognize their marriages violates their constitutional rights. The couples hail from across the state: Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo, of Franklin; Valeria Tanco and Sophy Jesty, of Knoxville; Ijpe DeKoe and Thomas Kostura, from Memphis, and Kellie Miller and Vanessa DeVillez, of Greenbrier.