Tennessee marriage case heard by appeals court

Attorneys representing multiple gay couples told judges from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Wednesday that's there's no rational reason for barring same-sex marriage.

Lawyers from the Tennessee governor's office say the state has an economic interest in married couples having children.

The appellate court panel heard the cases as part of a series of hearings on the same day on similar lawsuits across four states, including Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.

In the Tennessee case, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger issued an order requiring the state to recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples.

The lawsuit did not challenge laws barring same-sex marriage in Tennessee, only those that prohibit recognizing such marriages performed in other states.