Indiana is seeking to stay a federal judge's ruling issued Thursday that said the state must recognize the marriage of a lesbian couple, where one is terminally ill.
The state said that they believe that recognizing the couple's out-of-state marriage could create false hopes for other gay couples who desire the same legal right, reports The Associated Press. The stay is also normal following a ruling, Burt Corbin, the attorney general's office spokesman, said.
U.S. District Judge Richard Young ruled that Indiana must recognize Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney's marriage, which will allow for Sandler's name to be listed as a spouse on Quasney's death certificate. Quasney is suffering from stage 4 ovarian cancer.
Lambda Legal Marriage Project Director Camilla Taylor wasn't happy with the move by the state and said in a statement, "This is a shameful display of cruelty towards a loving couple with two children who marriage is vital as they battle an aggressive cancer and fight to be together."
As previously reported, Young ruled on Thursday to indefinitely extend an injunction to have their marriage be recognized by the state.
The case, brought by Lambda Legal on behalf of several same-sex couples, seeks to force Indiana to recognize out-of-state marriages, but Young hasn't issued his decision on it yet, preferring to focus on the Sandler and Quasney situation specifically due to their circumstances.