constitutional denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples before the 2015 federal Obergefell decision. The hearing was held on November 12, 2014. The marriage ban was found as unconstitutional by Judge Reeves on November 25, 2014. The case was appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Fifth Circuit issued a stay of Judge Reeves' order to issue same-sex marriage licenses. When the federal Obergefell decision legalized same-sex marriage, the Fifth Circuit's stay was overturned and marriage licenses were issued for same-sex couples within Mississippi. After the passage of H.B. 1523, in May 2016, plaintiffs in the CSE v. Bryant case still represented by Roberta Kaplan filed a motion to reopen the lawsuit in opposition to the bill. Specifically, Kaplan's motion argued that provisions in H.B. 1523 that allow circuit clerk and state workers to recuse themselves from performing their duties are in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. For the case's hearing in U.S. District Court it was consolidated with Barber v. Bryant. On July 21, 2016, Attorney Roberta A. Kaplan filed an affidavit to illuminate the role that the Christian lobby Alliance Defending Freedom played in drafting H.B. 1523. In September 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied the petition for a rehearing en banc submitted by the plaintiffs of Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant. In October 2017, the case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court. In January 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court passed on reviewing the CSE v. Bryant Fifth Circuit decision. Alford v. Moulder In May 2016, Nykolas Alford, Stephen Thomas, and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Judy Moulder, a Mississippi state registrar of vital records. Alfred v. Moulder aimed to prevent H.B. 1523 from going into effect, arguing that the bill goes against the federal ruling in favor of same-sex marriage made in the Obergefell decision. On October 17, 2016, the Court stayed Alford v. Moulder pending a decision in Barber v. Bryant from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. See also LGBT rights in Mississippi References External links Text of the law Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant, No. 3:14-CV-818 (S.D. Miss. June 27, 2016) court order blocking marriage license provision Barber v. Bryant, No. 3:16-CV-442 (S.D. Miss. June 30, 2016) court order blocking all of HB 1523 2016 in LGBT history Discrimination against LGBT people in the United