|
Dear Friends,
I wanted to give you a further update on what has happened
since Monday's ballot initiative process began. Below you
will find a note by the Equality for All interim Campaign
Manager Sid Voorakkara. It will give you a lot of information
about what is coming next.
I also want you to be clear on what The Center is doing
to protect the rights of the LGBT community and to educate
the public on how these initiatives will affect all of us.
I am a member of the steering committee of the Equality
for All campaign. The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Community Center will play a vital role in this fight. We
are expected to play the central role in helping to do Voter
ID, community education, media training, and organizing.
This will be important work, and we will need your help.
Already, this year's Real Bad Party has designated the Center
as one of two beneficiaries to support our work on the marriage
and domestic partnership battles.
Please stay tuned to what we are doing and how you can
get involved. We will need volunteers, money, and your time
to have an impact. Support your state campaign, and support
your Centers and others involved in this fight, and we will
come out of this winners together.
Thom Lynch
TO: GLBT Community, Activists, Friends and Allies
FROM: Sid Voorakkara, Interim Campaign Manager
RE: California Equality For All Campaign
DATE: July 27, 2005
A quick update on campaign activity since the Attorney
General announced on Monday the Title and Summary language
for one of the constitutional amendments that would permanently
ban same sex marriage and repeal rights and protections for
legally-recognized domestic partners.
First of all, thanks to you, we spread the word far and
wide in the gay and lesbian community and the mainstream
media that we are ready to fight any ballot initiative that
attempts to enshrine discrimination in California's Constitution!
But as you know, the fight has just begun...
Possible
Court Challenge to Title and Summary of First Measure Released
on Monday, July 25
The backers of the initiative that received Title and Summary
on Monday (link to AG's office here), have announced they
will challenge the Attorney General's language in court.
Here are a few key points about court challenges to ballot
language:
First, recall that in order to appear on a statewide ballot,
600,000 valid signatures must be qualified by the Secretary
of State's office at least 131 days prior to Election Day.
That means any ballot initiative placed on the June 6, 2006
ballot must be qualified by the Secretary of State around
January 26, 2006;
Judges hearing these cases often set an extraordinarily
fast schedule for hearing and deciding challenges to Title
and Summary language. The Attorney General's office defends
the official ballot language. Those with a specific type
of legal interest in the dispute can join the litigation
to support the AG's language and/or to argue for different
language. The Equality for All campaign's legal team has
been anticipating ballot litigation and is prepared to participate
promptly should any or all of the proponents of these initiatives
file a challenge.
Two Additional Measures Receive Title and Summary Language
Today
The
Attorney General's office authorized the proponents of
two additional amendments to begin gathering signatures
to qualify them for the ballot. These amendments pose the
same serious threats as the first one. They specifically
state that no other "legal union" or "legal
status" besides marriage can be conferred on an unmarried
couple.
The
proponents of these measures are purposely using the terms
in these amendments to eradicate any protections for same-sex
couples because California's domestic partner law uses
the term "legal union" and it requires that
registered domestic partners have the same legal benefits-i.e.,
status-as married couples.
Proponents of these amendments have tried repeatedly to
get the courts in California to strike down rights and protections
for same-sex couples and they have consistently failed to
do so. Now they are seeking to change the California constitution,
which will require state courts to strike down virtually
all state laws giving rights or benefits to gay and lesbian
couples.
The differences in the three amendments are negligible.
All three would repeal the existing safety net for legally
recognized domestic partners and permanently ban marriage
protections for same-sex couples.
Join our efforts to defeat these measures by contacting
us at www.equalityforallca.org.
We look forward to working with you in the months ahead
and we will keep you updated on activity as they occur.
With Best Wishes,
Sid Voorakkara
|
