Baehr v. Lewin case brief

Baehr v. Lewin (1993)

Facts: Two gay couples filed suit and alleged that Hawaii’s Marriage Law was unconstitutional b/c it denied same-sex couples the same marriage rights as different sex couples.

Holding: State action sex discrimination requiring strong justification under the EPA to Hawaii’s Constitution.

• Denied of rights and benefits allotted to married couples.

• HI Marriage Law deemed unconstitutional unless D can show that the sex-based classification is justified by compelling state interests and that the statute was narrowly tailored to avoid affecting the appellants constitutional rights.