News & Commentary

On November 5, 2008, the day after Proposition 8 was approved by voters, the California ACLU affiliates joined with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., and the law offices of David C. Codell, Munger, Tolles & Olson, and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe to file suit in the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8.

San Francisco'The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Lambda Legal filed a reply brief on Jan. 5 in the California Supreme Court, the next step in the lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition 8, which passed by a mere 52 percent on Nov. 4.

(San Francisco, California, 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.

SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court on Nov. 5, 2008 urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group - lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The film 'Tru Loved' - which tells a poignant tale about gay and lesbian teen-agers dealing with parents and high-school friendships as well as their own hopes and fears -- will premier at 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, October 11 at the Regent Showcase Theater, 614 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Pioneering actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on the original 'Star Trek' television series, will receive the Liberty and Justice Award from the ACLU of Southern California Foundation on the closing night of this year's Outfest 2008: the 26th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on Monday, July 21, 2008.

SAN FRANCISCO - 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 shortly before the Memorial Day weekend by an Arizona-based, right-wing legal group, the Alliance Defense Fund, on behalf of the Proposition 22 Legal Defense & Education Fund.

https://www.aclunc.org/issues/lgbt/asset_upload_file353_6683.jpg" />Now that the reality of this victory for freedom to marry has settled in, there are questions to be answered. Here's what we know. The decision becomes final on June 14, 2008. Beginning then, the state must make sure revised marriage license applications are ready to be issued to same sex couples.

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