AMICUS BRIEFS FILED IN WA SSM CASE: Lambda Legal press release

Six state legislators and a wide variety of religious organizations, civil rights groups and bar associations filed friend-of-the-court briefs today in support of marriage for same-sex couples in Washington State.

Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women's Law Center filed a lawsuit in state court in March seeking the right to marry for same-sex couples. The briefs filed today urge the court to rule in favor of treating all couples equally. ...

Arguing that the state law excluding same-sex couples from marriage should be struck down, six state legislators -- including one Republican -- filed a brief saying that the "heterosexuals only" rule violates the protections guaranteed by the Washington State Constitution. State Representatives Fred Jarrett (R), Jim Moeller (D), Ed Murray (D) and Sandra Romero (D), as well as State Senators Debbie Regala (D) and Pat Thibaudeau (D) all signed onto the friend-of-the-court brief.

"Building families, expanding civil rights, and limiting the government's reach into our private affairs are among my core beliefs as a Republican. All families should be encouraged and supported, and I cannot think of a better way to support all families than to allow loving, committed couples the right to marry, and that includes same-sex couples," Representative Jarrett said.

Multifaith Works, with numerous other religious organizations, argued in its brief that the state should not adopt one definition of marriage and that religious freedom is not affected by recognizing the importance of civil marriage for same-sex couples. The brief says, "promoting 'moral and religious' grounds as the basis for the legislature's adoption of [the state's Defense of Marriage Act] is not a legitimate government purpose--let alone a compelling state interest."

Another brief filed today was signed by a coalition of civil rights groups and bar associations, including Loren Miller Bar Association, a largely African-American legal group. The brief argues that preventing same-sex couples from marrying is fundamentally wrong and violates the Washington State Constitution. The brief says, "Our nation has a troubled history of imposing restrictions on the most private and most important choice of who one will marry. Ultimately, the judiciary has righted such wrongs..."

more
posted by Eve at 10:48 PM | Link |

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home