Tag Archives: ACLU

Is Pennsylvania Next For Marriage?

The ACLU today reports that “both sides have agreed” that there is no need for the scheduled June trial in their Pennsylvania marriage equality lawsuit. A trial became unnecessary after the commonwealth stated that it will not call any experts to counter the plaintiffs’ argument that there is no rational reason why lesbian and gay couples are excluded from marriage, …

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MICHIGAN: ACLU Sues For Recognition Of Existing Same-Sex Marriages

Via press release: The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit today to guarantee that the marriages of 300 same-sex couples performed last month are recognized by the state. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight same-sex couples who were married after a federal judge struck down the state’s ban and before the Sixth …

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NORTH CAROLINA: ACLU Files Lawsuit For Out-Of-State Marriage Recognition

Just in from the ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation and the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Ellis & Winters LLP have filed a new case in federal court on behalf of three married, same-sex couples seeking state recognition of their marriages. Because of the serious medical condition of one …

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VIRGINIA: Norfolk County Clerk Files Appeal Of Gay Marriage Ban Overturn, Claims Brothers Will Now Get Married

Attorneys representing Norfolk County Clerk George Schaefer yesterday filed an appeal of the decision that overturned Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. The filing claims, among other things, that the legalization of gay marriage will lead to brothers getting married for the tax and insurance benefits. Just like brothers and sisters have done since marriage was invented by God. “Same-sex marriage …

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INDIANA: Fourth Marriage Suit Filed

Make that four Indiana marriage equality lawsuits. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Friday morning in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on behalf of 15 plaintiffs, including two children of same-sex couples, challenging the same-sex marriage ban and the state’s refusal to recognize gay unions legally performed in other states. “The government …

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FLORIDA: ACLU Files Suit Demanding Out-Of-State Gay Marriage Recognition

Via press release: The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida have filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of eight same-sex couples and SAVE, an LGBT rights organization based in South Florida, challenging the state’s refusal to recognize the couples’ marriages, which were performed in other states and recognized by the federal government. One of the …

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MICHIGAN: Attorney For Plaintiffs Is Grilling Regnerus Over Discredited Study

Regnerus returned to the witness stand about an hour ago. Follow along with reporter Amy Lange’s excellent live-tweeting.

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WISCONSIN: ACLU Requests Lift On Marriage Ban While Lawsuit Proceeds

The ACLU today asked a federal judge for an injunction against Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage while their lawsuit is being heard. The organization filed a motion on Thursday with U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb, seeking a preliminary injunction that would essentially invalidate the ban until the lawsuit is decided. In a brief accompanying the motion, the ACLU argued it’s …

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LGBT Groups Tangle Over Which One Will Bring Marriage Fight Back To SCOTUS

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed: The fight to win marriage equality across the nation has in recent months become nearly as much a fight about which lawyers and organizations will get to be the ones making the arguments before the Supreme Court — and taking credit for a win. Now, that fight is breaking out into the open. On Wednesday, …

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LGBT Groups React To Arizona Veto

Human Rights Campaign With today’s veto, Governor Brewer spared her state from institutional discrimination and economic catastrophe. Make no mistake, there is no better way to doom jobs in a state than by signing license-to-discriminate bills,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin. “The bipartisan outpouring of opposition to this bill is all the proof you need that this …

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MISSOURI: ACLU To Sue For Marriage

The ACLU announced today that they will file a marriage equality lawsuit against the state of Missouri. Stephanie Perkins, deputy director for PROMO, a Missouri gay and lesbian advocacy group, said the litigation seeks to overturn Missouri’s ban on same-sex marriage. Couples from Kansas City, St. Louis, mid-Missouri and Springfield are included in the suit, which will be filed in …

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Wisconsin Gets First Marriage Suit

The ACLU today filed the first marriage equality lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin, which has a unique, if unenforced, law on the books. Via Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade: The litigation seeks not only to overturn the state’s 2006 constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, but also to enjoin state official from enforcing a “marriage evasion law” prohibiting couples …

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VIRGINIA: Court Grants Class Action Status To ACLU/Lambda Marriage Lawsuit

Via joint press release from Lambda Legal and the ACLU: Today, a federal district court in Virginia certified as a class action a lawsuit challenging that state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples, extending the scope of those represented in the lawsuit to all same-sex couples in the state who cannot legally marry or whose legal marriages performed elsewhere are …

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UTAH: ACLU Sues Over Non-Recognition Of Existing Same-Sex Marriages

As promised last week, today the ACLU sued the state of Utah to force the recognition of the more than 1200 same-sex marriages that took place before the Supreme Court issued its stay. The plaintiffs are profiled here. Read the full filing here. (Via Equality Case Files)

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ACLU: We’re Going To Sue Utah

Via the Salt Lake Tribune: The ACLU of Utah is set Tuesday to announce a lawsuit against the state over the decision not to recognize marriages of same-sex couples performed before a stay was issued in the Amendment 3 case. The civil liberties organization started looking for plaintiffs on Jan. 8, the same day Gov. Gary Herbert’s office issued a …

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UTAH: ACLU Seeks Plaintiffs For Marriage Recognition Lawsuit Against State

Talking Points Memo has the story. The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah announced Thursday that it is planning litigation against the state of Utah for putting recognition of same-sex marriages on hold after the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay. The ACLU called for plaintiffs on Wednesday, and got “overwhelming interest” from couples who were married before the stay …

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Why Marriage Matters

Clip recap: A coalition of state and national organizations will launch a statewide television ad today featuring a New Mexican family who represent the broad, majority support for the recent ruling by the state Supreme Court that grants every loving couple the freedom to marry. The ad will appear on both network and cable television throughout the state. It features …

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VIRGINIA: Federal Court Denies Motion To Dismiss Marriage Equality Lawsuit

And the hits just keep coming! Via a joint press release from Lambda Legal and the ACLU: A federal court denied a motion from the Staunton Circuit Court Clerk today seeking dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Virginia’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The lawsuit, filed earlier this year on behalf of two couples by the American Civil Liberties Union, …

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PENNSYLVANIA: State Demands To Know Sexual Histories Of Marriage Plaintiffs

Back in September, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett hired former state Supreme Court Justice William Lamb (left) to defend the state against a marriage equality lawsuit brought by the ACLU. This week Lamb filed a demand to know the sexual histories of the plaintiffs. Attorneys defending Pennsylvania in a federal court challenge to the commonwealth’s prohibition on same-sex marriage have asked …

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Think Tank Report: Major LGBT Rights Groups Had $186M In 2012 Revenues

The Movement Advancement Project has issued its annual report on the finances of 32 major LGBT rights groups in the United States. Included in their 2012 recap is data from the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU LGBT Project, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, Freedom To Marry, and several state organizations such as Equality California. Hit the link for the full 24-page report.

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