Court invalidates licenses, we push ahead for Marriage Equality in Actions Across the Stat

MECAMail!© Marriage Equality California
http://www.marriageequalityca.org
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"Marriage, Anything Less Is Less Than Equal"
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MARRIAGE EQUALITY CALIFORNIA

Breaking Marriage News....


California Supreme Court Invalidates Marriages AND Rules Against Newsom!

Dear Supporter ,

The California Supreme Court has just issued its decision. it says that Mayor Newsom did not
have the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and therefore those licenses
are not valid. We must now redouble our efforts to end marriage discrimination in California.
Importantly, the Court did not address the constitutionality of California's marriage law. ( You
can read the full decision at http://www.eqca.org.

With the Court not ruling on the constitutionality of California's discriminatory marriage laws,
we must do everything we can to pass the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act, legislation
authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno and sponsored by Equality California. It will take an
extraordinary effort but if everyone who cares about equality gets engaged in this battle we
will pass this legislation next year.

Equality California and Marriage Equality California are launching our new "Get Engaged"
campaign and we need you to join us in this effort. You will hear more about this campaign in
the coming weeks. Today, we are asking you to do three easy things that will have a major impact
and send a powerful message about how important this issue is to our community and our allies.
Please take a few minutes and do them now. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by.

"Get Engaged" in winning the right to marry in California by doing three things.

1. Send California's elected officials an email asking them to support the Marriage License Non
Discrimination Act, so TAKE ACTION NOW! (http://action.eqca.org/alert) now. It is essential
that they hear from as many people as possible in the next few days.

2. Commit to voting this November 2nd by putting a reminder in your calendar now and by printing
and sending in an application to vote by mail. If you are not registered to vote or have moved
and not re-registered at your present address, you will need to register.

3. On Friday, August 13, 2004, please go to your local county clerk's office and stand up for
your relationship by getting turned down for a marriage license. Render visible the
discrimination the clerks implement everyday. Turn in a Certificate of Engagement to them to
express your intent to continue the fight until same-sex couples can be legally married.
Download the "Get Engaged" Certificate at http://www.eqca.org and take it with you when you ask
for your marriage license tomorrow. When they turn you down, ask them to register your
"Engagement Certificate" then until we change the laws. For a list of actions near you visit
the homepage at http://www.marriageequalityca.org

Please forward this email to 10 friends, relatives or other people you know to ask them to send
it to ten people and then send you an email letting you know that they Got Engaged too by doing
the same three things!

Thank you,

Geoffrey Kors and Molly McKay
Executive Director and Assoc. Executive Director