ACLU of Santa Cruz County, CA

On April 2, 2007, the ACLU of Northern California filed a brief with the California Supreme Court urging them to strike down the ban on same-sex marriages. Here is the following press release:

"SAN FRANCISCO—In a brief filed today with the California Supreme Court, attorneys representing same-sex couples, Equality California, and Our Family Coalition urged the court to strike down as unconstitutional a law that bars same-sex couples from marriage. The couples and organizations are represented by lead counsel the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David C. Codell.

“We are hopeful that the California Supreme Court will recognize that same-sex couples form committed relationships just like straight couples and shouldn’t be barred from the dignity and universal recognition that comes with marriage,” said Alex Cleghorn, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “While domestic partnerships provide families with some legal protections, the marriage ban is a painful reminder that same-sex relationships are considered unworthy of marriage.”

The brief filed today charges that state law barring same-sex couples from marriage discriminates based on sexual orientation and sex and violates the fundamental right to marry, which is protected by the California Constitution’s guarantees of privacy, intimate association, and due process."

Click here to read full press release on ACLU of Northern California website.

See below for full text of the brief submitted by the ACLU of Northern California in a .pdf file.