Historians Testify In Favor of Marriage Equality in Prop. 8 Case, Media Takes Notice
January 13, 2010
Two historians appeared in federal court on Tuesday in the Proposition 8 case which challenges a voter sanctioned ban on marriage for same-sex couples in California.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Wednesday that Harvard history professor Nancy Cott spoke to the court about the history of marriage and the evolution of matrimony in America:
Those who supported prohibitions on weddings across racial lines, bans dating from colonial days that the Supreme Court abolished only in 1967, often argued that “the institution would be degraded, their own marriages would be devalued” if such unions were allowed, Nancy Cott testified in San Francisco on the second day of the U.S. District Court trial of a suit challenging Prop. 8.
Similarly, she said, 19th century laws in most states that required women to surrender their property, earnings and legal status to their husbands were viewed by their supporters as “absolutely essential to what marriage was.” It took a series of Supreme Court rulings in the 1970s, Cott said, to stamp out the remnants of sex discrimination in marriage laws.
George Chauncey, a Yale historian specializing in 20th century LGBT studies, also testified on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported:
After viewing several television commercials produced by Proposition 8’s sponsors, Chauncey said images and language suggesting the ballot initiative was needed to “protect children” were reminiscent of earlier efforts to “demonize” gays, ranging from police raids on gay bars during the 1950s to campaigns to rid public schools of gay teachers in the 1970s.
“You have a pretty strong echo of this idea that simple exposure to gay people and their relationships is somehow going to lead a whole generation of young kids to become gay,” Chauncey said. “The underlying message here is something about the undesirability of homosexuals, that we don’t want our children to become this way.”
The case is drawing a great deal of national media attention. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow interviewed attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case, on last nights program and discussed the landmark case as well as Ted Olson’s recent Newsweek editorial titled, “The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage.”
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Media are also focusing attention on Wednesday’s expected decision about whether or not to broadcast the trial online via YouTube. The Huffington Post published an article on Wednesday titled, “Let the Prop 8 Trial Be Broadcast,” that calls on the Supreme Court to lift a temporary stay on broadcasting the proceedings. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who is presiding over the case, noted on Monday that he had received over 138,000 signatures in favor of a broadcast and just 32 opposed. A final decision is expected later today.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of the Prop. 8 case. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Media Spotlights Couples’ Compelling Stories in Prop. 8 Case
January 12, 2010
The federal lawsuit challenging California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples opened yesterday with testimony from the four plaintiffs.
Numerous local and national media outlets covered the case, including, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, the Associated Press, PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and a host of others. Many of the reports focused closely on the love and commitment of the two couples at the heart of the case.
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Jeffrey J. Zarillo was the first to be called to the stand, The Los Angeles Times reported late yesterday:
Zarrillo, 36, a manager in the entertainment industry, testified tearfully about being denied the right to marry Paul T. Katami, his partner of nearly nine years and a co-plaintiff.
“He is the love of my life,” Zarrillo said.
Later, Kristin M. Perry, a 45-year-old child services professional, testified about her relationship with her partner of 10 years, Sandra B. Stier. In an article published on Tuesday, The New York Times recounted Perry’s statements:
“I remember thinking that she was the sparkliest person I’d ever met,” Ms. Perry is quoted as saying in the New York Times, which drew giggles from the packed courtroom. “When she told Ms. Stier of her feelings, she said, ‘she told me she loved me, too.’ Ms. Perry proposed marriage in 2003, although same-sex marriage was illegal then in California and every other state.”
The Associated Press also published a portion of Perry’s testimony late Monday:
“I’ve been in love with a woman for 10 years, and I don’t have access to a word for it,” said Kristin Perry… “You chose them over everybody else, and you want to feel that it is going to stick and that you are going to have the protection and support and inclusion that comes from letting people know you feel that way.”
Numerous blogs, advocates and LGBT groups are also keeping a close eye on the case via twitter and on their respective sites. And, Shannon Minter, Legal Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights is providing his legal expertise on Pam’s House Blend. As we reported Monday, The United States Supreme Court put a temporary block on a YouTube broadcast of the federal case. The Supreme Court said the block would allow for “further consideration” about the webcast. A final decision is expected Wednesday.
GLAAD will continue to keep our attention on mainstream media coverage of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Federal Suit Challenging Prop. 8 Begins Monday
January 8, 2010
A federal lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of a ban on marriage for same-sex couples will begin Monday in what is a landmark case for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, The Associated Press reports.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker will preside over the case filed by Kristin Perry and her partner of 10 years, Sandra Stier, after their marriage was revoked by the state. Perry and Stier were one of approximately 4,000 California couples who exchanged nuptials in San Francisco in 2004 when Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Those licenses were later invalidated.
Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo are joint plaintiffs in the case.
Star attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies will argue that California’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, known as Proposition 8, does not serve a legitimate public purpose and was prompted by legally inadmissible religious beliefs. Olson and Boies are best known for their head-to-head match in the “hanging chad” debacle during the 2000 presidential election.
“Proposition 8 violates the federal guarantees of equal protection and due process,” the Olson-Boies brief states. “Proposition 8 denies same-sex couples the right to marry in a unique historical context in which the denial can only be deemed a declaration of inequality.”
The case will be recorded and broadcast online via YouTube with a delay.
The plaintiffs, Perry, Stier, Katami & Zarrillo released the following statement about the case:
We and our relationships should be treated equally under the law. Our goal is to advance the cause of equality for all Americans, which is the promise that makes this nation so great.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of this landmark case. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:National Newspapers Respond to Prop 8 Decision in Editorial Pages
May 29, 2009
Following the decision by California’s Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, national newspapers have taken a stand for marriage equality, publishing editorials that criticize the Court’s ruling as unjust and ultimately un-American.
On May 27, The New York Times printed an editorial called “A Setback for Equality,” lamenting the Prop. 8 decision and calling it an “affront to gay men and lesbians and to [the] fundamental values enshrined in the [CA] state Constitution.” The editorial minces no words leading in with the assertion that “the California Supreme Court got it terribly wrong.” Yet the The New York Times encourages the LGBT community and its allies to share in its optimism for the future:
Polls show growing support for marriage rights for all Americans. We remain confident that the California ruling was a temporary setback.
The Los Angeles Times published a similarly critical editorial titled “Prop. 8 Fight Is Not Over,” which called the Court’s ruling “crushing to same-sex couples and those who support their right to marry.” The Los Angeles Times also voiced its strong support of marriage protections for same-sex couples:
Marriage is a fundamental right under the state Constitution-or it was before Proposition 8-that should not be denied to any group long targeted by discriminatory practices.
In a Wednesday editorial titled “Proposition 8 Ruling: Separate and Unequal,”The San Francisco Chronicle also voiced its disappointment in the ruling:
There is a word for this type of unequal treatment: Discrimination.
The Chronicle goes on to denounce the decision on the basis that “separate is not equal” but ends with a note of encouragement for marriage equality allies:
It will take another trip to the ballot box to remedy this injustice. Public opinion is shifting, as evident by the lack of an uproar over the sanctioning of same-sex marriage in other states. Time is on the side of marriage equality.
The Ventura County Star “share[d] the disappointment of many” in an editorial called “Equality Just A Matter of Time,” which also mourned the Court’s ruling. Though the Star also pressed that it is only a matter of time before marriage for same-sex couples is finally realized in California.
In rebuking the CA Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Prop. 8, some of the largest newspapers in the country have once again voiced their support for marriage for same-sex couples. Though the Court’s decision is also a tremendous disappointment, newspapers such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Ventura County Star and many others across the nation are to be commended for their ongoing support for marriage equality.
More Media Coverage of Prop 8 Decision, Marriage Equality Rallies
May 27, 2009
Below you will find more coverage of yesterday’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California as well as coverage of the marriage equality rallies last night.
Click here to read our original post from yesterday, with GLAAD’s statement, media coverage, as well as responses from various organization. Also, our post from this morning has even more coverage.
Video Coverage
- ABC: Good Morning America – Saying ‘I do’ to gay marriage?
- CNN: CNN The Situation Room – Gay marriage ban upheld
- Fox News: Glenn Beck – Douglas Kmiec on Prop. 8
- CNN: Campbell Brown – California same-sex marriage ruling
- CNN: Larry King Live – Gay marriage fight
- Fox News: The O’Reilly Factor – Gay marriage ruling
- MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show – Sen. Boxer on Prop. 8
- MSNBC: The Rachel Maddow Show – We are gathered here today
- Fox News: Sean Hannity – CA Supreme Court upholds Prop. 8 Ban
- CNN: Anderson Cooper 360 – Same-sex marriage battle
- Joe My God – NYC Marriage Rally May 26th, 2009
- Associated Press – Big protests following Calif. gay marriage ban
- Soulforce Colorado – Day of Decision Prop 8 direct action
- MTV.com – Thousands Protest California Supreme Court decision on Prop 8
- ABC 7 – D.C. activists protest California gay marriage ban
- MyFoxDC.com – Gay marriage ruling sparks DC protest
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Analysis of Prop 8 ruling. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco -175 Prop 8 protesters arrested. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Prop 8 march underway across downtown. Click here for video.
- ABC 7 San Francisco – Prop 8 protest turns into a new movement. Click here for video
- KTLA.com – George Takei and Rev. Lou Sheldon square off in Prop. 8 debate. Click here for video.
GLAAD Supporters Rally
Palm Springs Rally. Image courtesy of H. L. Cherryholmes
Comedian Kathy Griffin.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaking at the event in West Hollywood.
Setting up for Prop. 8 Protest Rally. Lansing MI. Image courtesy of Adam Taylor.
Local Rallies
Chicago
Windy City Times
Washington, D.C.
MyFoxDC.com
NBC Washington
WUSA 9
Indianapolis
The Bilerico Project
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times
New York City
Gay City News
Boy in Bushwick
Joe My God
San Francisco
ABC 7 San Francisco
Print Coverage
Examiner
Los Angeles Times
- Gay marriage battle relaunches today as Prop. 8 is challenged in court
- New Prop 8 court challenge brings former rivals together
- Gay marriage interactive map: History of rights for gay couples
The Sacramento Bee
- From San Francisco to midtown Sacramento, reaction is deep
- Proposition 8 challenged in federal court
CBS News
NPR
The Huffington Post
The San Francisco Chronicle
MSNBC
Bay City News Service
AP
- Rallying cry in San Francisco to overturn gay marriage ban
- Gay marriage to return to Calif. ballot
- Gay groups call federal marriage suit premature
MTV.com
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
- Did California Supreme Court actually help the cause of equal marriage rights?
- (In)famous legal odd couple unites to launch federal challenge to Prop 8
- Black and gay — and reclaiming ‘civil rights’
The Bilerico Project
- Proposition hate redux
- Civil disobedience: Trying to stop the moving train
- Reactions to Prop 8 court decision
- We lost…for now
- Equality California says to go back to the ballot in 2010
- California’s Prop 8: limited edition married gays, still separate and not equal
Joe My God
Greta Christina’s Blog
Michigan Messenger
- Same-sex marriage advocates call for 2012 equality push
- Family group says activists’ call for repeal of marriage amendment by 2012 ‘delusional’
Marches and Rallies Take Place Across the Country in Response to Prop 8 Decision
May 27, 2009
Across the country, LGBT people and allies gathered in rallies and marches in repsonse to the California Supreme Court’s decision on Proposition 8.
The intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave.
GLAAD Senior Media Field Strategist Adam Bass was in attendance in West Hollywood, where crowds gathered and marched seven miles from West Hollywood to the corner of Hollywood and Highland – the site of the Kodak theater – and back.
During the march, chants calling for a new vote in 2010 burst out spontaneously during the march.
Media outlets noted the rallies were low key, with estimates of participation ranging from 1,000 to upwards of 15,000.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaking at the event in West Hollywood.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke to the crowd about the importance that LGBT people get out and share their stories. As reported by the Contra Costa Times, he said:
“We’re going into every neighborhood, every city. We’re going into every institution to have this conversation about the right of my first cousin John to have a family,” Villaraigosa said in a statement after the Supreme Court ruling. He was referring to his cousin, Assemblyman John Perez, D-Los Angeles, who is openly gay.
Comedian Kathy Griffin.
The West Hollywood rally was also attended by celebrities and public figures including West Hollywood mayor Abbe Land, actors Drew Barrymore and George Takei (who married his partner, Brad Altman, last year), and comedian (and GLAAD Vanguard Award honoree) Kathy Griffin.
Rallies took place in other parts of Los Angeles and throughout the state, including in Downtown Los Angeles at Pershing Square. GLAAD Media Advocacy & Research Fellow Moe Macarow attended the gathering, which was organized by the First United Methodist Church of L.A. and the United University Church, and included a march around Pershing Square to the chorus of “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Turn Me Around.”
Downtown L.A. march at 5th St. and Hill St.
Lt. Dan Choi also spoke up in Los Angeles about the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Prop. 8, telling the assembled crowd, “Love is worth it!” and speaking on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 about the importance of marriage equality and his recent discharge from the Army under the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. (You can watch the video clip at the bottom of this post.)
Other marches and demonstrations (notably in San Diego) took place in cities across the nation, including one that drew large crowds in New York. For images of rallies from across the country, check out the slideshow at Towleroad.com.
Additional Media Coverage of Prop 8 Decision
May 27, 2009
Below you will find additional coverage of yesterday’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California.
Click here to read our original post from yesterday, with GLAAD’s statement, media coverage, as well as responses from various organization. We will be posting more coverage of the decision and of last night’s rallies as the day progresses. If you have pictures, video, or media coverage you’d like to share, feel free to email digital@glaad.org.
Video Coverage
- CNN Newsroom – California Upholds Gay Marriage Ban
- MSNBC News Live – CA Supreme Court Rules on Legality of Same-Sex Marriage
- CNN Newsroom – Battle Over Gay Rights
- ACLU responds to Prop 8 loss
- KCRA Channel 3 Sacramento News – Protesters decry Court’s Prop 8 ruling
Print Coverage
Los Angeles Times
- Prop. 8: Assembly speaker says ‘tide of history’ will undo gay marriage ban
- Prop. 8: Sacramento lawmakers denounce decision
The Huffington Post
- California Supreme Court thinks Prop. 8 was no big deal
- The avoidable tragedy of California’s Prop 8
- Prop 8 decision: we won’t back down
CBS News
The Star Ledger
MSNBC
U.S. News and World Report
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
- Link farm: reactions to Prop 8 ruling
- Robert Gibbs on Prop 8 ruling – he hasn’t talked to the president about it
The Bilerico Project
Joe My God
- The complete Prop 8 ruling
- Governator urges calm
- SD Pride calls for civil disobedience
- Arrests begin in San Francisco
Organizations Respond
- National Center for Lesbian Rights – Advocacy groups vow to return to polls to restore marriage for same-sex couples
- Equality California - Equality California vows to restore marriage at ballot box in wake of Prop. 8 ruling
- National Organization for Women – NOW denounces California Supreme Court ruling upholding Prop. 8: same-sex couples’ constitutional right to marriage denied
- Americans United for Separation of Church and State - Americans United criticizes California Supreme Court ruling allowing ban on same-sex marriage to stand
GLAAD’s Statement on Prop 8 Decision
May 26, 2009
*NOTE: For information on how to participate in a local rally tonight, please visit: http://www.dayofdecision.com*
GLAAD just released this statement by President Neil G. Giuliano on today’s decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8, the anti-gay ballot initiative that eliminated the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California:
Today, we express our deepest disappointment in the California Supreme Court’s decision, which continues to deprive an entire class of Californians the fundamental freedom to marry.
Thankfully, the court has protected the marriages of the more than 18,000 gay and lesbian couples who married before Nov. 5, 2008. It is vital that media outlets not only share these couples’ stories, but also those of the many gay people and couples in California who have again been denied the fundamental right to marry.
It is wrong to stand in the way of giving committed couples the legal protections they need to take care of and be responsible for each other and their families. We thank the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the City of San Francisco and the other counsel and plaintiff couples for their steadfast advocacy and commitment to fairness and opportunity for all Californians.
glaadBLOG will be monitoring and posting media coverage of the decision in the next few hours and days.
*UPDATE – Media Coverage of the decision is below:
Video Coverage
- MSNBC New Live – California Upholds Prop. 8
- Fox News: CA Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban Known as Prop. 8
- CNN: CNN Newsroom – Same-Sex Marriage Battle
Print Coverage
Los Angeles Times
ABC
News 10 (ABC)
The San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco Chronicle
Gay City News
New York Daily News
Windy City Times
Blog Coverage
Pam’s House Blend
Joe my God
The Bilerico Project
Organizations Respond
- GLAAD – GLAAD expresses deepest disappointment in prop 8 decision, GLAAD expresa su más sincera desilusión sobre la decisión emitida para mantener en efecto la proposición 8
- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force – Task Force profoundly disappointed in California decision upholding Proposition 8
- Lambda Legal – Court upholds Prop 8; State continues to recognize 18,000 marriages
- National Center for Lesbian Rights – United we mourn, united we stand
- Integrity USA – Integrity appalled by California Supreme Court ruling
- Courage Campaign – Courage Campaign disappointed by Supreme Court ruling to uphold Prop. 8
- Human Rights Campaign – California Supreme Court takes a step back from equality
- Family Equality Council – Family Equality Council turns to the future after disappointing Prop 8 ruling
- Freedom to Marry – California Supreme Court fails to overturn Proposition 8
- PFLAG – As California Court upholds Proposition 8, parents and allies vow to continue to work for marriage equality
Carrie Prejean: Beauty or Bryant?
April 29, 2009
Carrie Prejean and Anita Bryant
Miss California, otherwise known as Carrie Prejean, is back in the spotlight.
Earlier the Miss USA contestant came under fire because of her on-stage response to a question about the right for same-sex couples to marry. This time around she’s taking the personal and making it political.
Politico reported today the beauty queen is teaming up with the National Organization of Marriage to produce a second ad attacking marriage equality. The official announcement will be made tomorrow at a press conference being held at the National Press Club. The anti-gay group is reportedly doling out $1.5 million dollars for their television ads.
But that’s not all. Before tomorrow’s DC press conference, the losing Miss USA contestant made a pit stop in Lynchburg, Virgina to speak at Liberty University, an anti-gay college founded by the now deceased Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Carrier Prejean at Liberty University
It sounds like Prejean may be trying to channel a little bit of Anita Bryant. The retired beauty queen won Miss Oklahoma in 1958 and was a second runner-up for Miss America in 1959. Bryant became notoriously known for her anti-gay organizing efforts across the country.
Bryant went on to become the Flordia Citrus Commission spokeswoman but later lost the gig due to a nationwide boycott of orange juice by the LGBT community and bad publicity for her anti-gay efforts.
Button from the orange juice boycott
Just like orange juice toting Bryant, Ms. Prejean is in the minority among her peers. It was just reported that former Miss California and former Miss USA winner Shanna Moakler will be appearing in an ad campaign protesting California’s Proposition 8, the statewide initiative that overturned marriage for gay and lesbian couples in November 2008.
Former Miss California contestants Raquel Beezley and Tamiko Nash donned tiaras and appeared in the ads produced by NO H8. Brook Lee also shot for the ad campaign. Lee started her beauty queen career in 1997 as Miss. Hawaii and later went on to become Miss USA and Miss Universe.
Below you can see some historic media coverage of Anita Bryant and her anti-gay tirades:
GLAAD Issues Statement on Media Coverage of Miss USA Controversy
April 21, 2009
Earlier today, Neil G. Giuliano, president of GLAAD, responded to media coverage of the controversy surrounding the current Miss California, Carrie Prejean, and her response to a question during the Miss USA Competition on Sunday.
You can click here to read details and the full press release:
Much of the media’s coverage of this story seems to be missing the main point, which is that what Prejean said is simply inaccurate. Contrary to Prejean’s claim that people can choose who they want to marry, loving, committed gay and lesbian couples are in fact denied that choice in all but a few states, and all such couples are also denied the federal security and protections that come with marriage.
America should in fact be a place where all people – gay and straight – can choose to marry the person they love, but that choice continues to be denied to loving, committed gay couples. GLAAD urges media covering the controversy to focus attention on real gay and lesbian couples who, because they continue to be excluded from marriage, are prevented from being able to take care of and be responsible for each other.
Portia de Rossi “Apologizes” For Marrying Ellen
March 24, 2009
In a very special PSA taped for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, actress Portia de Rossi delivered a powerful message of regret and sorrow, apologizing for the pain her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres must have caused those who supported the passage of Proposition 8.
Feast your eyes.
Media Coverage of Prop. 8 Hearings
March 6, 2009
Here’s a quick roundup of the coverage of the California Supreme Court Proposition 8 hearing:
- Before the hearing, The Associated Press and Anderson Cooper 360 reported on a march attended by several thousand marriage equality supporters from S.F.’s Castro District to City Hall on Wednesday night to show solidarity in the lead-up to the hearings.
- The Los Angeles Times featured an editorial discussion of state Supreme Court’s role in determining whether to overturn Prop. 8 and the opinions of legal experts on how the court might rule.
- The San Francisco Chronicle offered a look at the “swing vote” judges and their arguments for and against the repeal of the ballot initiative.
- CNN’s American Morning featured an interview with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom discussing his support of the repeal of Prop 8.
- Equality California broadcasted a new ad urging marriage equality supporters to fight Prop. 8.
- On the blogs, Queerty interviewed National Center for Lesbian Rights’s Kate Kendell on her organization’s role in the legal challenge to the anti-gay initiative.
- Towleroad and others reported on San Diego’s Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders appearance at an anti-Prop 8 rally where he announced his daughter’s engagement to her partner.
- During the hearing, Queerty, Good As You, and 365Gay.com liveblogged the proceedings and Pam’s House Blen hosted an online chat.
- After the hearing, The Associated Press, Time Magazine, and The Los Angeles Times provided a roundup of the arguments made by both legal teams.
- MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show featured an interview with San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrara.
- Anderson Cooper 360 interviewed FRC’s Tony Perkins and radio talk show host and LGBT advocate Michelangelo Signorile on their opposing views on the legality of Prop. 8.
- PBS’s New Hour with Jim Lehrer addressed the legal challenges to Prop. 8 and the effects the anti-gay initiative could have on Calif.’s gay couples should it remain intact.
- Fox News’ Glenn Beck, Jonah Goldberg and Jay Sekulow argued against the possible invalidation of Prop. 8, claiming that because Calif. voters narrowly approved the ban, it is constitutional regardless of its effects on the state’s gay couples.
- The Advocate published a recap of the arguments presented during the proceedings and an article, “Prop. 8 Battle: How Did It Go?” featuring expert opinions.
- Finally, The National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Shannon Minter-who presented one of the arguments against Prop. 8 during the heading-provided commentary on the hearing on the NCLR “Overturn 8″ website.
Media Resource Guide on the Prop 8 Legal Challenge
March 5, 2009
GLAAD has just published a new Media Resource Guide – “California Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments Challenging Proposition 8″ – which can be read in full, here.
The guide lists key facts from LGBT legal advocacy groups, links to media resources, and contact information for media inquiries.
It’s important for the media to cover this story and cover it with a fair, accurate, and inclusive lens.
If you know of media covering the Prop 8 legal challenge make sure they read this guide. If your news outlets are not covering the story, make sure to contact them today!
What to Watch: ONLINE TODAY
March 5, 2009
Today, the California Supreme Court — which last May made history by striking down the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples — will hear oral arguments in three cases challenging Prop 8. The arguments will be broadcast live on the California Channel.
One of the cases, Strauss vs. Horton, was filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union. The Center has disbursed $40,000, raised through its InvalidateProp8.org web initiative, to these organizations in support of this legal effort.
Another case was filed by the City and County of San Francisco and joined by other municipalities (including the City and County of Los Angeles), and the third by a private attorney. Jerry Brown, the state’s attorney general, has urged the court to overturn Prop 8.
Questions the court will consider include whether Prop 8 is a constitutional revision rather than an amendment and whether it violates the separation of powers doctrine. If Prop 8 is not invalidated, the court will address whether the measure will affect the thousands of same-sex couples who wed prior to November 4.
A ruling is expected by no later than early June.
Many viewers in California get the California Channel on their cable system, but everyone can watch the proceedings streamed online here.
Watch the Court’s Prop 8 Challenges
March 3, 2009
On Thursday, March 5, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in three cases challenging Proposition 8. Last May the court made history by striking down the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The arguments will be broadcast live on the California Channel and streamed online.
One of the cases, Strauss vs. Horton, was filed jointly by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Another case was filed by the City and County of San Francisco and joined by other municipalities (including the City and County of Los Angeles), and the third by a private attorney. Jerry Brown, California’s attorney general, has urged the court to overturn Prop. 8.
Following the oral arguments, questions the court will consider include whether Prop. 8 is a constitutional revision rather than an amendment and whether it violates the separation of powers doctrine. If Prop. 8 is not invalidated, the court will address whether the measure will affect the thousands of same-sex couples who wed prior to November 4.
A ruling is expected by no later than early June.
