On Feb. 28 Equality Michigan joined a broad nonpartisan coalition of equality organizations which have filed amicus briefs in support of the plaintiffs in the landmark Perry v. Hollingsworth and Windsor vs. United States cases. The coalition brings to the Supreme Court the perspectives of LGBT people who live with dignity in every state without basic legal rights and protections.
Leaders and representatives from national Republican, labor, business, health care, faith, and military organizations have come together to file briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the freedom to marry and against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Among the coalition are 28 LGBT organizations from 23 states demanding equal treatment for LGBT communities under the law, no matter where someone lives.
The Perry v. Hollingsworth case challenges the constitutionality of discriminatory "Prop 8" legislation in California that eliminated the right for same-sex couples to marry in California. The Windsor vs. United States case challenges Section 3 of the DOMA, which excludes same-sex couples from the federal protections and benefits automatically granted to other married couples. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the cases on March 26 and 27.
"Equality Michigan is proud to be joining 27 of our colleague organizations in 23 diverse states where the laws do not currently reflect the growing support for LGBT issues. Laws like the ironically titled Defense of Marriage Act delegate LGBT people to second-class status and are not only unconstitutional, but harmful to every American. Equality Michigan calls on the Supreme Court to make the most of this opportunity to further dismantle these systems of discrimination," said Emily Dievendorf, Equality Michigan's director of policy.
