prop8

San Francisco Asks Federal Judge to Toss Prop. 8

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco has asked a federal judge to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage, allying the city with a lawsuit that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

In papers filed Thursday night in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office argued that Proposition 8 was motivated by hatred of gays and lesbians and violates their constitutional right to be free of discrimination.

Posted in Equality/Justice, gay marriage, prop8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2009
2:52 PM

CONTACT: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

(202) 466-3234
Joe Conn
Rob Boston
Sandhya Bathija

Americans United Criticizes California Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Ban on Same-Sex Marriage to Stand

WASHINGTON - May 26 - Americans United for Separation of Church and State today expressed disappointment with the California Supreme Court ruling upholding Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in the state.

"Marriage is a civil right and should not be subject to majority rule or a religious litmus test," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United.

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Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State Links:

Posted in gay marriage, prop8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2009
2:13 PM

CONTACT: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463 (Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

Task Force Profoundly Disappointed in California Supreme Court Decision Upholding Proposition 8

More than 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples that took place before ban remain intact

WASHINGTON - May 26 - The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is profoundly disappointed in today's California Supreme Court ruling upholding Proposition 8, a ballot measure approved by a slim majority in November 2008 that amends the California Constitution to eliminate the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. The court did allow the 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples that occurred prior to the enactment of Proposition 8 to remain intact.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, building the organizational capacity of our movement and generating groundbreaking research through our Policy Institute.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Links:

Posted in civil liberties, Equality/Justice, gay marriage, prop8

California Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8 -- the controversial ballot question that banned same-sex marriage.

At the same time, the ruling will allow about 18,000 same-sex couples already married, to retain the rights they attained during the brief six-month period that gay marriage was legal in the state.

"There it goes," said Jim Schnobrich, who married his partner of 27 years in Pasadena, Calif., last September. "We have to keep going."

Posted in Equality/Justice, gay marriage, glbt, prop8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2009
1:16 PM

CONTACT: Equality California (EQCA)
Jason Howe, Sr. Public Information Officer, Lambda Legal
213-382-7600 ext: 247Cell: 415-595-9245
jhowe@lambdalegal.org
Gordon Smith, Communications Director, ACLU of SoCal
213-977-5247
gsmith@aclu-sc.org
Vaishalee Raja, Communications Director, Equality California
Cell: 916.284.9187
vaishalee@eqca.org

Prop 8 Challenge Legal Team to Hold Press Conference Following Supreme Court Ruling

LOS ANGELES - May 22 - The California Supreme Court has announced that it will rule Tuesday, May 26, 2009, on whether Proposition 8, passed by a slim majority of voters on November 4 and eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry, was a valid amendment to the California Constitution.

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Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians.

Equality California (EQCA) Links:

Posted in prop8

California's Gay Marriage Trailblazers Look East for Signs of Progress

California's legislators were gay-rights trailblazers when a majority passed the first same-sex marriage bill in the United States in 2005.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, and voters passed a ban on gay marriage with Proposition 8. Now gay activists in the Golden State find themselves looking East for fresh inspiration.

In a dizzying series of events, Iowa's Supreme Court and Vermont's legislature legalized gay marriage just this month.

Posted in gay marriage, glbt, prop8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2009
3:19 PM

CONTACT: Equality California (EQCA)
Vaishalee Raja, Communications Director
916-284-9187 vaishalee@eqca.org

Equality California Says Iowa Court’s Decision to Uphold Marriage for Same-Sex Couples Should Send Strong Message to CA Justices

LOS ANGELES - April 3 - Today the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously voted to strike down the state's ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The historic ruling makes Iowa the first Midwestern state to uphold equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Reacting to the decision, Equality California (EQCA) Marriage Director Marc Solomon said:

"The Iowa Supreme Court's ruling protects the state Constitution's promise of equality for all Iowans, including same-sex couples, and ultimately it helps advance the democratic principles of freedom and equality for all Americans.

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Equality California (EQCA) Links:

Posted in gay marriage, glbt, prop8

Justices Seem to Be Leaning in Favor of Prop. 8

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court, which last year declared the right of gays and lesbians to marry, appeared ready Thursday to uphold the voters' decision to overrule the court and restore the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

"There have been initiatives that have taken away rights from minorities by majority vote" and have been upheld by the courts, said Chief Justice Ronald George. "Isn't that the system we have to live with?"

Posted in civil liberties, gay marriage, glbt, inequality, prop8

Gay Couples Hold Vigils Urging Justices to End Prop. 8

As rain fell and the song "Fidelity" blasted through the sound system, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presided Wednesday night over the "recommitment ceremonies" of half a dozen gay couples who married during the five-month period that such weddings were legal in California.

It was one of dozens of vigils held across California hours before the state Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage.

Posted in civil rights, lgbt, prop8

Prop. 8: A Case About Justice

This case is not about just us. It's about justice.

My wife, Diane, and I will never say, "Please don't divorce us."

There is a very moving public service announcement all over the Internet in which same-sex couples are holding up a sign or saying, "Please don't divorce us." The music in the background is compelling, and the announcement, which collects thousands of names for the organization that produced it, should have made Diane and me very happy, especially because there is a clip of our wedding in it. But it didn't.