PRESS RELEASE
(Burlington, Vermont, July 22, 1997) Today, three same-gender Vermont couples
filed suit in Chittenden Superior Court, seeking the right to marry. The
couples, Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan, Nina Beck and Stacy Jolles, and Lois
Farnham and Holly Puterbaugh, sued the State of Vermont as well as Shelburne,
South Burlington and Milton, respectively, because the clerks in those towns
refused to issue marriage licenses to the couples. In a joint statement, the
couples' attorneys, Susan Murray and Beth Robinson from the law firm of Langrock,
Sperry & Wool in Middlebury, maintain that "the refusal to allow our
clients to marry violates both state marriage laws and the state Constitution,
which require that all citizens and families have the same access to the legal
protections and obligations of civil marriage." They added that
"marriage is a fundamental, individual personal choice, which should be
available to all Vermonters."
Mary Bonauto, co-counsel in the case from Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders, a New England-wide legal organization which advocates for gay and
lesbian civil rights, pointed out that "married couples receive over 150
supports and protections under Vermont law which are not available to gay and
lesbian couples, no matter how long they have been together, no matter how
committed their relationship is, and no matter how much they need those legal
protections."
No state currently recognizes marriages between couples of the same gender,
although a court in Hawaii has ordered that state to allow such marriages. That
decision is on hold pending an appeal to the Hawaii Supreme Court.
About the Plaintiffs: Lois Farnham and her partner, Holly Puterbaugh, have lived together as a
couple in Vermont for twenty-five years. Farnham is not entitled to receive
Puterbaugh's social security benefits, nor are they granted the right to make
necessary medical decisions or act as each other's guardian in their old age.
Puterbaugh notes that "Lois has done as much as any other spouse to earn my
retirement benefits, but she's not entitled to them under present law."
Nina Beck and Stacy Jolles are a couple of seven years, parents of a two year
old child, and residents of South Burlington. Two years ago, when Beck was
rushed to the hospital, Jolles experienced firsthand the effects of
discriminatory marriage laws. "The doctors did not treat me as a family
member," Jolles recalls, "and if I had not had a signed medical power
of attorney from Nina, they would not have let me be with Nina or participate in
any medical decisions that needed to be made."
Speaking about their child, Beck declared that "our son will be better
off if his parents can marry and enjoy the legal support and protection that the
civil marriage laws provide. He needs and deserves to know that his parents have
a legal connection to one another, as well as to him."
294 Washington Street, Suite 740, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 426-1350 Fax: (617) 426-3594
e-mail: GLADLAW@aol.com
FREEDOM TO MARRY CASE FILED IN BURLINGTON, VERMONT
Stan Baker and Peter Harrigan have been together as a couple for four years, and
live in Shelburne. They explain that they want to marry for the same mix of
reasons that other couples choose to marry: they love each other, they want to
make a public commitment to one another, and they seek the legal protections and
obligations of civil marriage. Harrigan explains, "Marriage is a
fundamental right, central to me as a human being. I am deeply devoted to my
relationship with Stan, and would like our commitment to be supported by legal
rights afforded other committed couples."
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