August 4, 2010
on behalf of Equality Illinois
Just moments ago, federal district court declared Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional!
In January 2010, attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies went to trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal case challenging Proposition 8-California's discriminatory ballot measure that took away same-sex couples' right to marry in the state. The suit was filed on behalf of same-sex couples, who were denied marriage licenses, on the grounds that Proposition 8 violated the equal protection principles and the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Today, for the first time, a federal court ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution. Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that California's denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.
While the decision of the federal district court overturns Proposition 8, it is probably not the final word on the matter. The decision is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then to the U.S. Supreme Court. This exciting development brings us one step closer to full LGBT equality, but the final outcome in the matter may still be years away and same-sex couples in every corner of the country are still being denied federal recognition of their relationships.
Stay tuned: Equality Illinois will keep you updated as this issue unfolds. (And see below how you can help us make a difference in Illinois.)
Very truly yours,
Bernard Cherkasov
Chief Executive Officer, Equality Illinois
In January 2010, attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies went to trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal case challenging Proposition 8-California's discriminatory ballot measure that took away same-sex couples' right to marry in the state. The suit was filed on behalf of same-sex couples, who were denied marriage licenses, on the grounds that Proposition 8 violated the equal protection principles and the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Today, for the first time, a federal court ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution. Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that California's denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.
While the decision of the federal district court overturns Proposition 8, it is probably not the final word on the matter. The decision is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then to the U.S. Supreme Court. This exciting development brings us one step closer to full LGBT equality, but the final outcome in the matter may still be years away and same-sex couples in every corner of the country are still being denied federal recognition of their relationships.
Stay tuned: Equality Illinois will keep you updated as this issue unfolds. (And see below how you can help us make a difference in Illinois.)
Very truly yours,
Bernard Cherkasov
Chief Executive Officer, Equality Illinois
