Chief Justice John Roberts’ lesbian cousin to attend Supreme Court case

Chief Justice John Roberts’ lesbian cousin is planning to attend the Supreme Court’s high-profile case on same-sex marriage.

NBC reports she is confident her cousin will vote favorably on the case.

“I feel confident that John is wise enough to see that society is becoming more accepting of the humanity of same-sex couples and the simple truth that we deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and equality under the law,” Jean Podrasky wrote, in a column for the National Center for Lesbian Rights that was published on Monday.

Ms. Podrasky told the Los Angelese Times that she and her four-year partner, Grace Fasano, will sit in the courtroom area that’s reserved for guests of the chief justice, NBC reports.

The Supreme Court is due to hear two cases on gay rights: On Tuesday, justices will hear a ban on same-sex marriage that was approved in a California referendum nearly five years ago. And on Wednesday, justices will hear on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, and whether the federal government can legally define marriage as between a man and a woman.