Washington: Two non-resident Indians (NRIs), who openly admit they are lesbians, were denied a "marriage" license in Seattle following which they filed a suit against the American State saying their Civil Rights have been violated.

The two - Vegavahini Subramaniam and Vaijayanthimala Nagarajan - who go by the names of "Vega" and "Mala", said they were denied a "marriage" licence in King County in Washington State on Monday (Mar 8, 2004) in response to which they had filed a suit against the State, according to a media report.

The two met through a women's e-mail list-service in 1996 and moved from Olympia to Seattle in 2000, and the following year, bought a house together, Seattle media reported.

In 2002, they claim, they were united in a Hindu wedding ceremony officiated by a Hindu priest. But they said they wanted to marry within the US legal system because it's important to them that all couples be able to receive the same benefits.