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Marriage Equality Petition Drive Beginning

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Local marriage equality advocates are gearing up for a petition drive.  The action follows Thursday's federal appeals court decision to uphold anti-gay marriage laws in Michigan and three other states.

Sanndi Smith is Board President of Ann Arbor's Jim Toy LGBT Community Center.  She says the court's decision is devastating to the LGBT community.

"We are one of I believe something like 14 states that are now left with this condition of not having a legal marriage availability, and I think it's going to be devastating to the state," Smith says.  "I think economically it's going to be challenging to overcome."

Smith says the effort to gather enough petition signatures to place marriage equality on the 2016 ballot in Michigan begins now.  

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling revealed today creates a divide among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the Supreme Court will now take up the issue.