Domestic Violence Law Declared Unfair to Gay Couples

  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)– A law that perhaps unintentionally failed to protect domestic violence victims in same-sex relationships appears to be unconstitutional, and now South Carolina’s high court is trying to decide what to do.

The court was asked to weigh in after a woman tried to get a protective order against her former fiancée, also a woman, and was denied.

The law defines “household members” as a spouse, former spouse, people with a child in common, or men and women who are or have lived together _ but not unmarried same-sex couples.

Attorney Bakari Sellers argued in court Wednesday the domestic violence provision can be changed to include all couples.

The court will rule later, likely in a few months.