Statement by NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter (San Francisco, CA, March 23, 2011)—Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the plaintiffs’ motion to lift the stay in the case challenging Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that stripped the freedom to marry from same-sex couples in California. That ruling means that the district’s court decision striking down Prop 8 remains on hold, and same-sex couples in California will be denied the right to marry while the litigation...
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Proposition 8
Today in the federal court challenge to California’s Proposition 8, the California Supreme Court agreed to accept a question sent to it last month by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and provided a timeline for the briefing and argument on that question. The question posed to the California Supreme Court by the Ninth Circuit panel is whether California law gives ballot initiative sponsors the extraordinary power to override the decisions of elected state officials about how to litigate court...
On May 22, 2009, two same-sex couples filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging California’s Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to prohibit marriage by same-sex couples. California’s Governor and Attorney General agreed with the plaintiffs that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional. Judge Vaughn Walker permitted Proposition 8’s supporters to intervene as defendants, and also permitted the City and County of...
Court to determine constitutionality of Prop 8 (San Francisco, CA, November 19, 2008)—Today the California Supreme Court granted review in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, which passed by a narrow margin of 52 percent on November 4. In an order issued today, the Court agreed to hear the case and set an expedited briefing schedule. The Court also denied an immediate stay. On November 5, 2008, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Lambda Legal...
(San Francisco, CA, November 7, 2008)— Top leaders from the NO on Prop 8 campaign today issued the following statement urging leaders in the community to stand together following the passage of Prop 8. “This has been an incredibly difficult week for Californians who are disappointed in the passage of Proposition 8, which takes away the right to marry for same-sex couples in our state. We feel a profound sense of disappointment in this defeat, but know that in order to move forward we must...
California Voters Have Moved Significantly on Issue of Equality, NO on Prop 8 Campaign was Historic, Broad Coalition Effort Across State (San Francisco, CA, November 6, 2008)—No on Prop 8 campaign leaders today expressed deep disappointment with the passage of Proposition 8, which takes away the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Although final ballots still continue to be counted during the next 30 days, campaign leaders do not believe those votes will be enough to overcome the...
Initiative Would Only Apply to Future Marriages (San Francisco, CA, November 5, 2008)—The California Attorney General, Equality California, and the nation’s leading LGBTQ legal groups agree that the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who married between June 16, 2008 and the possible passage of Proposition 8 are still valid in the state of California and must continue to be honored by the state. As Attorney General Jerry Brown has stated in previous court papers and as he...
Legal Papers Claim Initiative Procedure Cannot Be Used To Undermine the Constitution’s Core Commitment To Equality For Everyone (San Francisco, CA, November 5, 2008)—The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt...
(San Francisco, CA, November 5, 2008)— Roughly 400,000 votes separate yes from no on Prop 8 out of 10 million votes tallied. Based on turnout estimates reported yesterday, we expect that there are more than 3 million and possibly as many as 4 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted. Given that fundamental rights are at stake, we must wait to hear from the Secretary of State tomorrow how many votes are yet to be counted as well as where they are from. It is clearly a very...
(Sacramento, CA, October 10, 2008)—Connecticut today confirmed the right to marry for same-sex couples. Preventing same-sex couples from marrying was found to violate the state constitution. Statement by Geoff Kors, NO on Prop 8 Executive Committee Member: “Today, another state recognized that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry,” Kors said. “We believe as do millions of our fellow Californians that laws should not treat people differently, and we’re thrilled that loving...