(San Francisco, CA, June 12, 2008)—The petition filed by the Campaign is frivolous and will have no effect. The California Supreme Court held that gay and lesbian couples have a fundamental right to marry and denied the Campaign’s petition for a stay. The court of appeal is bound by the California Supreme Court’s ruling and does not have authority to stay the decision. This is a non-event, and we are delighted that loving, committed gay and lesbian couples and their families will be...
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marriage equality
(New York, NY, June 10, 2008)—Four LGBTQ legal organizations and five other leading national LGBTQ groups have issued a statement entitled “Make Change, Not Lawsuits.” The statement explains that while couples who go to California to marry should ask friends, neighbors and institutions to honor their marriages, they generally shouldn’t sue. The statement says that ill-timed lawsuits are likely to set the fight for marriage back, and that there are other ways to fight which are more likely to...
(San Francisco, CA, June 4, 2008)—Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who argued the marriage case before the California Supreme Court, issued the following response to today’s news that the California Supreme Court denied requests to stay its decision in In re Marriage Cases: “The Court’s denial of the petitions for rehearing today means that the Court’s decision will be final on June 16. Lesbian and gay couples in California will be...
State notifies county clerks that California lesbian and gay couples can marry starting June 17; Field Poll shows majority support for allowing lesbian and gay couples to marry (San Francisco, CA, May 28, 2008)—Attorneys representing same-sex couples, Equality California, and Our Family Coalition filed a legal brief today opposing a request to stay the court’s ruling and prevent couples from marrying for several months. The request to stay the California Supreme Court’s ruling was filed...
(San Francisco, CA, May 23, 2008)—On May 22, anti-gay groups filed a Petition for Rehearing in the California Supreme Court asking the Court to stay its historic ruling on May 15 striking down laws that had prohibited lesbian and gay couples from marrying based on the possibility that voters may enact an anti- marriage amendment to the California Constitution in November. We believe this Petition will be denied and there will be no stay ordered by the Court. However, simply as a matter of...
California Supreme Court Issues Historic Ruling (San Francisco, CA, May 15, 2008)—The California Supreme Court ruled today that the state can no longer exclude same-sex couples from civil marriage. In a 4-3 decision, drafted by Chief Justice Ronald George, the court ruled: “In light of the fundamental nature of the substantive rights embodied in the right to marry — and their central importance to an individual’s opportunity to live a happy, meaningful, and satisfying life as a full member of...
By Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (San Francisco, CA, May 5, 2008)—As an American and an attorney representing same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry, I join millions of others around the world in mourning the death of Mrs. Mildred Loving. Mrs. Loving and her husband were indicted and initially convicted for being in an interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that finally agreed with the 1948 decision by...
California Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on March 4 (San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2008)—Attorneys for same-sex couples presented arguments to the California Supreme Court today in a historic lawsuit seeking to strike down a state law that bars lesbians and gay men from marriage. “During our 55 years together, we have witnessed enormous changes in California law concerning lesbian and gay people,” said Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who are petitioners in the case. “At one time, the law...
(San Francisco, CA, 29 de Febrero de 2008)—Los abogados y parejas demandantes organizarán una rueda de prensa el martes inmediatamente antes de que comiencen los argumentos orales en la Corte Suprema de California. Los participantes hablarán sobre el desafió que la ciudad de San Francisco y parejas del mismo sexo han hecho a la constitucionalidad de las leyes estatales que discriminan a las parejas gays y lesbianas con respeto al matrimonio. Qué: Rueda de prensa antes de la vista en la Corte...
(San Francisco, CA, February 29, 2008)—A press conference will be held immediately prior to Tuesday’s oral arguments in the California Supreme Court on challenges by the City and same-sex couples to the constitutionality of state laws that discriminate against same-sex couples in marriage. What: Pre-Hearing Press Conference on Marriage Equality Cases When: Tuesday, March 4 at 7:30 a.m. Who: Dennis J. Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for...