CINCINNATI (Joe Webb) -- Cincinnati will be front and center before the Supreme Court next week.Justices will hear arguments in what could be landmark same sex marriage cases. On Friday, the City of Cincinnati organized a send-off for the local plaintiffs fighting for marriage equality in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.On Tuesday the Supreme Court hears arguments on two issues, does the 14th amendment require states to issue same-sex marriage licenses and does it mean states have to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other states? At City Hall on Friday it wasn't about the law, it was about the people fighting to change it. Their city leaders were behind them.About 30 people gathered on City Hall's steps at noon Friday and another few dozen gathered to support them as they head to Washington in what could be the decisive battle over same-sex marriage. Mayor John Cranley called same-sex marriage bans un-American and said he's proud Cincinnatians are standing up for what he called "basic fairness and decency.""Theres a lot of problems that government has got to solve but too much love is not one of them, said Mayor Cranley. There was a lot of talk about love and marriage outside City Hall on Friday, and not much about the law. Jim Obergefell's case stems from him wanting his Maryland marriage recognized so his name can appear on his husband's death certificate. Kelly McCracken wants her Massachusetts marriage recognized so she can be a parent on her daughter Ruby's birth certificate. The plaintiffs were overwhelmed by the support."It means so much, it really does, said Kelly. It gives us that little boost before we head out of town on Monday that we have our city behind us, we have our community behind us, friends and family and people who don't even know us." They even got a break on Friday from their staunchest opponents: Citizens for Community Values."I wish them well, said Charles Tassell for Citizens for Community Values. At the end of the day, we're all citizens and that's part of what makes this country great is we can all disagree and we can work things out legally. And we're not like some countries that go to civil war over things." Friday's rally showed that even an abstract constitutional concept is really, at its heart, about people. It is hard to tell if what was going on today was a legal story or a love story.The Supreme Court agreed to hear these cases after Cincinnatis 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. Other circuits overturned marriage bans and when the sixth circuit upheld them, the Supreme Court decided to hear these. It may settle the issue, at least legally. 37 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. That covers about 70 percent of the population.Follow Joe Webb on Twitter @joewebbwkrc, and LIKE him on Facebook.Follow us on Twitter @Local12 and LIKE us on Facebook for updates!
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