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The US Supreme Court is considering whether to hear a case involving laws that define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Voters in several states approved same-sex marriage initiatives last month. And gay rights groups are now pushing harder to legalize same-sex marriage across the country and strike down other measures they say discriminate against gays and lesbians. George Ramirez and his partner German Roa have lived together for 16 years. Now, they are allowed to marry in Maryland, after voters there endorsed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. "We want the opportunity to consider marriage for all its purposes for making a public statement, for the legal rights, and we want to be able to consider that just like anybody else," said Ramirez. Gay rights advocates won election victories for same-sex marriage in four states last November. Now there is a drive to push for laws in other states to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Gay Rights groups in Minnesota celebrated after voters rejected a measure to define marriage as between "a man and a woman." The state was the first in the nation to defeat a marriage amendment that has been enshrined in 30 other state constitutions. Now there is growing support for the legislature to legalize same-sex marriage. Gary Schiff, is a lawmaker in Minneapolis. "You are going to see gays and lesbians turning their attention to the state capitol and asking for a marriage equality bill at the top of the agenda," said Schiff. Up until last month, Americans had never approved a same-sex marriage measure by popular vote. | 
