News & Commentary

ADELANTO, CA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, together with the law firm of Bingham McCutchen, today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Native American inmate who has faced serious disciplinary sanctions - including the loss of all visitation rights --for his refusal to comply with a California Department of Corrections grooming policy requiring all male inmates to maintain hair no longer than three inches in length. Billy Soza Warsoldier is a Cahuilla Native American whose religious beliefs prohibit him from cutting his hair except upon the death of a loved one.

WASHINGTON - Marking the first time Supreme Court has been asked to review whether federal courts have jurisdiction to hear human rights claims brought by foreign citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union is co-counsel in two closely watched international human rights law cases that will come before the Court tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon, the California Supreme Court issued an order temporarily directing San Francisco to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in San Francisco. The Court said it would hear a case in May or June on whether Mayor Gavin Newsom and the City of San Francisco had the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

LOS ANGELES - This morning, the ACLU of Southern California, together with the ACLU of Northern California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit arguing that denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates the California Constitution's guarantees of equality, liberty, and privacy.

WASHINGTON - With the Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee set to hear testimony on the state of marriage laws, the American Civil Liberties Union today said that the hearing served as a guise to push a constitutional amendment that, besides limiting marriage to a man and a woman, could forever deny protections to same-sex couples.

LOS ANGELES - The ACLU and the California Library Association (CLA) are calling upon voters to urge their California representatives to support legislation that would roll back some of the USA PATRIOT Act's most dangerous provisions, including the government's ability to search individuals' library records, Internet activity and bookstore purchases.

LOS ANGELES - In a victory for civil liberties, the Los Angeles City Council today passed a resolution condemning the unconstitutional aspects of the USA-PATRIOT Act. The City of Los Angeles is the largest locality in the country to pass such a resolution, joining over 230 cities, counties and even states throughout the nation that have passed similar resolutions.

ACLU and Statewide Coalition Announce Largest Ever Study of Anti-Gay Harassment in Schools, Showing Strong Need and Proven Solutions

(LOS ANGELES) Today the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of artist Tom Forsythe in a case involving the artist's use of the Barbie doll in his art work and Mattel's efforts to suppress that use through invoking copyright and trademark infringement. The court handed the litigious toymaker a decisive defeat, all but eliminating its hopes of preventing artists from using the image of its iconic doll to critique the values they believe it represents.