In a win for gay rights advocates, a state appeals court on Monday overturned the dismissal of a lawsuit that sought to remove legal barriers to gay marriage in Minnesota.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three same-sex couples, will now return to Hennepin County District Court, where it will likely proceed to trial as debate heats up over a statewide vote next fall to ban gay marriage in Minnesota.
In its order, the appeals court ruled that a district judge threw out the lawsuit before properly analyzing the couples' equal-protection, due-process and freedom-of-association claims.
