CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL TO HEAR LANDMARK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASE ON JULY 10, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2006

Contact:Dannie Tillman, Director of Communications and Coalitions, Equality California
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: media [at] eqca.org

Contact:Calla Devlin, Communications Director, NCLR
Phone: (415) 392-6257 ext. 324 Email: cdevlin [at] nclrights.org

Contact:Mark Roy, Public Information Officer, Lambda Legal
Phone: (212) 809-8585 ext. 267 Email: mroy [at] lambdalegal.org

Contact: Stella Richardson, Media Relations Director, ACLU
Phone: (415) 621-2493 Email: srichardson [at] aclunc.org

NEXT STEP FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES IN LEGAL STRUGGLE TO MARRY IN CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL TO HEAR LANDMARK CASE ON JULY 10, 2006

San Francisco, CA-On July 10, 2006, the California Court of Appeal will hear oral arguments in Woo v. California and five other cases that will decide whether excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the California Constitution.

Last spring, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer held that California's exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage discriminates on the basis of sex and violates the fundamental right to marry under the California Constitution. The Attorney General appealed, setting the stage for the argument to be held on July 10, 2006.

"The time has come to end one of the last remaining laws that mandate discrimination against an entire group of Californians," said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California, which is a party in four of the six consolidated cases. "Same-sex couples and their families deserve all the protections and responsibilities that only a marriage license can provide. This case is about the dignity and respect that has been denied to thousands of California couples simply because of who they love."

"Same-sex couples have demonstrated their love and commitment in the face of ongoing legal discrimination," said Shannon Minter, Legal Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights and lead counsel in Woo v. California. "Our clients Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon have been together fifty-three years. After living to see many anti-gay laws fall by the wayside, they now hope they will live to see the final chapter of this story, when they finally will be treated as full and equal citizens with the same ability to marry as everyone else."

Minter will be arguing before the Court of Appeal in Woo v. California and three other cases, representing Equality California, Our Family Coalition, and sixteen same-sex couples. NCLR's co-counsel are Heller Ehrman LLP, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and the Law Firm of David C. Codell.

"The trial court in this case rightly recognized that there is no legitimate reason to deny lesbians and gay men the freedom to marry that their neighbors cherish," said Jennifer Pizer, Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal's Western Regional Office. "We hope that California's appellate courts soon affirm what the state's legislature recognized in passing a marriage equality bill: no one will be harmed, and many families will be helped, by allowing same-sex couples to marry and thereby take full responsibility for each other and better protect their children."

"Same-sex couples fall in love, make commitments and raise children together just like straight couples," said Tamara Lange, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU. "We're hopeful that the Court of Appeal will recognize that it is unfair for the state to deny same-sex couples the ability to marry and the important family protections and dignity that comes with marriage."

The court will hear the following cases beginning at 9:00 a.m.: Woo et al. v. State of California et al (Court of Appeal Case Number A110451), City and County of San Francisco v. State of California et al (Court of Appeal Case Number A110449); Tyler et al. v. State of California (Court of Appeal Case Number A110450); and Clinton et al. v. State of California et al (Court of Appeal Case Number A110463). Beginning at 1:30 p.m. on the same date, the court will also hear Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund v. City and County of San Francisco (Court of Appeal Case Number A110651); and Campaign for California Families et al v. Newsom et al (Court of Appeal Case Number A110652).

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the rights and safety of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. NCLR plays a leading role in establishing family law protections around the country for LGBT people and is lead counsel in Woo v. California. http://www.nclrights.org

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. Lambda Legal is awaiting decisions in its marriage equality cases from the state high courts of Washington (with Northwest Women's Law Center), as well as New Jersey and New York. Lambda is also awaiting a court date for its marriage case in Iowa. http://www.lambdalegal.org

The ACLU's Lesbian & Gay Rights Project is committed to the goal of equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing, schools and public places. The Project is litigating marriage equality cases in Maryland, New York, and Washington. http://www.aclu.org

Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California sponsored and led the nation's first successful effort to pass a bill eliminating marriage discrimination against same-sex couples in the California Legislature in 2005. The bill was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. http://www.eqca.org