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Domestic Partners Seek To Intervene In Lawsuit Challenging Wisconsin's Domestic Partner Law (09/22/2009)
MADISON, WI - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion before the Wisconsin Supreme Court today on behalf of five same-sex couples asking that the couples be allowed to participate in a lawsuit that will decide whether the state’s newly enacted domestic partner law violates Wisconsin’s anti-gay marriage amendment. Anti-gay activists have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down the domestic partner law as inconsistent with the marriage amendment. The couples also ask the Court to reject the petition and send the case to a trial court so that evidence can be presented to show that the domestic partner law does not violate the anti-gay marriage amendment that passed in 2006.

Legislation Introduced To Repeal Discriminatory Defense Of Marriage Act (09/15/2009)
WASHINGTON - A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives today that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and respect state marriages by providing federal protections for married same-sex couples. DOMA, passed in 1996, authorized discrimination against lawfully married same-sex couples. Today's bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, was introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and several others.

ACLU Statement on Latest Obama Administration Legal Brief on Defense of Marriage Act (08/17/2009)
The brief filed by the Justice Department in Smelt v. United States, today shows that the federal government heard and understood some of the concerns raised by the LGBT community in response to the brief it filed in June. (Smelt is a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to give them equal treatment in federal programs).

LGBT Community Groups Seek to Intervene in Federal Challenge to Proposition 8 (07/09/2009)
SAN FRANCISCO - Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today asked the U.S. District Court in San Francisco to allow Our Family Coalition, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays to intervene in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal lawsuit challenging California's Proposition 8. In an order issued June 30 and confirmed at a hearing on July 1, Judge Vaughn R. Walker granted a motion to intervene by supporters of Proposition 8, and declined to rule on a request by plaintiffs for an immediate injunction staying the marriage ban. He called instead for a trial to resolve a number of critically important factual questions about LGBT people and constitutional rights, including questions about same-sex couples as parents, whether Proposition 8 was passed with discriminatory intent and whether allowing same-sex couples to marry undermines the stability of heterosexual marriages.

Fresno Hospital Bars Lesbian From Visiting Partner And Giving Advice About Her Treatment (06/15/2009)
SAN FRANCISCO – After a lesbian was barred from visiting her partner and giving advice about her treatment at a Fresno hospital, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights sent a letter to the hospital today urging that it adopt policy changes respecting same-sex relationships.

LGBT Legal And Advocacy Groups Decry Obama Administration's Defense of DOMA (06/12/2009)
We are very surprised and deeply disappointed in the manner in which the Obama administration has defended the so-called Defense of Marriage Act in a brief filed today in Smelt v. United States, a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to treat them equally with respect to federal protections and benefits. The administration is using many of the same flawed legal arguments that the Bush administration used. These arguments rightly have been rejected by several state supreme courts as legally unsound and discriminatory.

Wisconsin Trial Court Dismisses ACLU Lawsuit Seeking Domestic Partner Benefits For Lesbian and Gay State Employees (06/01/2009)
MADISON, WI – On Friday, a Wisconsin trial court dismissed a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of lesbian state employees and their partners seeking domestic partner health insurance and family leave protections. In a 46 page opinion, the court notes that although it believes it is unconstitutional for the state to continue to deny the employees equal health insurance coverage and family leave protection, it is bound by a prior decision from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals from 1992.

LGBT Organizations Point Out that Lawsuits Could Set Back Progress on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples (05/27/2009)
NEW YORK – In response to the California Supreme Court decision allowing Prop 8 to stand, four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading national LGBT groups are reminding the LGBT community that ill-timed lawsuits could set the fight for marriage back. The groups released a new publication, “Why the ballot box and not the courts should be the next step on marriage in California.” This publication discourages people from bringing premature lawsuits based on the federal Constitution because, without more groundwork, the U.S. Supreme Court likely is not yet ready to rule that same-sex couples cannot be barred from marriage. The groups also revised “Make Change, Not Lawsuits,” which was released after the California Supreme Court decision ending the ban on marriage for same-sex couples in California. This publication encourages couples who have legally married to ask friends, neighbors and institutions to honor their marriages, but discourages people from bringing lawsuits.

Court Upholds Prop 8; State Continues to Recognize 18,000 Marriages (05/26/2009)
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, in a 6 to 1 decision, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, the ballot measure that eliminated the right of same sex couples to marry. In the ruling authored by Chief Justice Ronald George, the court stated “We emphasize only that among the various constitutional protections recognized in the Marriage Cases as available to same-sex couples, it is only the designation of marriage — albeit significant — that has been removed by this initiative measure.” At the same time, the court unanimously ruled that the more than 18,000 marriages that took place between June 16 and November 4, 2008 continue to be fully valid and recognized by the state of California. The decision reaffirmed the court’s prior holding that sexual orientation is subject to the highest level of protection under the California Constitution.

Marriage Equality Leaders Respond to Release of Petition Question (05/19/2009)
PORTLAND – Supporters of the new state law granting equality in marriage to all Maine couples reacted with confident optimism today after the Secretary of State announced the wording of a ballot question that opponents of the new law will use to launch a petition drive against it.

Maine Ends Ban On Marriage For Lesbian and Gay Couples (05/06/2009)
Portland, ME – Maine Governor John Baldacci signed into a law today a bill ending the ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The Maine Civil Liberties Union, which lobbied hard for the bill, applauds the governor for recognizing that lesbian and gay couples in the state should no longer be denied the legal protections, recognition and respect that comes with marriage.

ACLU of Louisiana Urges Rapides Parish Police Jury Not to Adopt Resolution Concerning Marriage (05/04/2009)
Today the ACLU of Louisiana urges the Rapides Parish Police Jury not to adopt a resolution concerning marriage. The Police Jury should stand by its vote from March 2, when it recognized that neither Rapides Parish nor any other local body can affect the laws governing marriage in Louisiana.

New Mexico Agrees To Provide Retirement Health Insurance To Domestic Partners Of State Employees (04/28/2009)
ALBUQUERQUE – In response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, New Mexico has agreed to provide retirement health insurance to the domestic partners of state employees.

ACLU of Wisconsin tells Joint Finance Committee: Budget's domestic partnership proposal constitutional – We'll help defend domestic partners (04/17/2009)
Milwaukee – Governor Jim Doyle's budget proposal to create a domestic partner registry with a limited number of benefits is constitutional. Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin wrote to the co-chairs of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance to explain why the proposal does not violate the Wisconsin Constitution's ban on creating a legal status "substantially similar to that of marriage…." These budget provisions "are not even close to being substantially similar to marriage," wrote ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Chris Ahmuty.

Iowa Supreme Court Grants Same-Sex Couples Right To Marry (04/03/2009)
DES MOINES, IA – A unanimous Iowa Supreme Court today ruled that the state could no longer bar same-sex couples from being able to marry. The American Civil Liberties Union, which supported the case through friend-of-the-court briefs, applauds this historic victory for fairness for lesbian and gay couples.

Clergy, Legislators Hold Breakfast Meeting on Marriage Equality (03/17/2009)
AUGUSTA – Leaders of the clergy group that is helping lead the drive to bring marriage equality to Maine residents held a breakfast meeting with legislators this morning to talk about the issue from a religious perspective.

Statement By The ACLU of Arkansas On Today’s Ruling That Cole v. Arkansas Can Proceed (03/17/2009)
Today the Circuit Court of Pulaski County denied the state’s motion to dismiss Cole v. Arkansas, our case challenging Act 1, which bans adoption or foster parenting by any person who is unmarried and lives with a partner.

Attorneys Urge California Supreme Court To Invalidate Prop 8 (03/06/2009)
San Francisco, CA - Attorneys for same-sex couples, civil rights organizations and the state Attorney General's Office appeared before the California Supreme Court today to urge the court to strike down Proposition 8, which took away the right of same-sex couples the right to marry. At issue in the case is whether the ballot initiative process can be used to take away a fundamental right only for one group of Californians based on a trait – in this case sexual orientation – that has no relevance to the group's ability to participate in or contribute to society. Because the case has serious implications for the constitutional rights of all Californians, it has generated unprecedented support from many national and state civil rights groups as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups. The California Supreme Court, which has struck down several other initiatives in the past, is expected to issue a decision within 90 days.

Attorneys Urge California Supreme Court To Invalidate Prop 8 (03/05/2009)
SAN FRANCISCO - Attorneys for same-sex couples, civil rights organizations and the state Attorney General’s office appeared before the California Supreme Court today to urge the court to strike down Proposition 8, which took away the right of same-sex couples the right to marry. At issue in the case is whether the ballot initiative process can be used to take away a fundamental right only for one group of Californians based on a trait – in this case sexual orientation – that has no relevance to the group’s ability to participate in or contribute to society. Because the case has serious implications for the constitutional rights of all Californians, it has generated unprecedented support from many national and state civil rights groups as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups. The California Supreme Court, which has struck down several other initiatives in the past, is expected to issue a decision within 90 days.