Amnesty urges court to overturn prop 8

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2009
Amnesty urges court to overturn prop 8
5
Thu, 03-05-2009 - 11:09pm

Amnesty International Urges California Supreme Court to Overturn Prop 8 and Restore Marriage Equality


WASHINGTON, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, the California Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the validity of Proposition 8 -- a ballot initiative that eliminated the existing right of same-sex couples to marry. On Tuesday (March 3) before the court hearing, Dalia Hashad, Amnesty International USA Policy Director on Identity-based Discrimination, released the following statement:



"Amnesty International opposes discrimination in civil marriage. But this case is not just about same-sex marriage. It is about the basic human right to be treated equally under the law, without regard to an individual's sexual orientation, race, religion or gender. States should never withhold rights based on minority status. Denying equal civil recognition of same-sex relationships compounds the effects of discrimination, undermines other rights, such as the right to housing or social security and tragically, stigmatizes those relationships in ways that can fuel further discrimination. The message that the court needs to give is clear: allowing discrimination against any group, puts all groups at risk. Discrimination by any means, even majority vote, is unacceptable. The court should put this right by striking down Proposition 8 and affirming equality."



Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.



For more information, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org.


http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2009/0004982118&EDATE=






Kate


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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2009
Fri, 03-06-2009 - 4:14am


I was just reading through some stuff at Time about it:


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883508,00.html?cnn=yes

Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Fri, 03-06-2009 - 8:52am
It's a fight, like all other civil rights fights, as unfair as it is. But, in the end, civil rights usually prevails.





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Fri, 03-06-2009 - 10:27am

>"such opposition doesn't guarantee that the court won't strike down the existing marriages. Given that three justices voted against gay marriage in the first place",


It would be soooo wrong.


I have to think if there hadn't been so much interference from outside Calif. Prop 8 would not have passed.


(As tax time is approaching too quickly for your's truly. Married gays in Conn. can file jointly for state but separately for Fed. What a pain!)

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2009
Fri, 03-06-2009 - 1:36pm

True.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Fri, 03-06-2009 - 9:00pm

Fingers crossed...it would make a difference in passing same-sex marriage rights up here.