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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 2004)
18 2D. 2004 k news CALIFORNIA Get answers Comprehensive Financial Planning Retirement Planning Life & Disability Insurance* Estate Tax Anolysis College Savings Plans Mutual Funds Investing IRAs, Roth IRAs, Rollovers Tax Advantaged Investments Long Term Care Insurance* OHwtd through orranfemenh with muroMt cwnparws WADDELL ><&rREED' Financial Services PET THIS PRETTH LITTLE flEWSPRPER POnH! Offers may nor be used in conjunction with any other State Fair promotional offers including advance discounted : tickets Some games require more than one ticket It's fun! She likes it when you scratch behind her ears and feed her a carrot. It's great practice for petting the real ponies at the Oregon State Fair. Or for petting one of the stuffed animals from the carnival there. She also likes corn dogs and music by Peter Frampton. Maybe you should just bring this little filly down to the Fair. Oregon’s City of Fun. It opens Thursday, August 26th. Ooh. did you hear that? I think she just whinnied. Better go get a carrot! (comcast • Ortftnlnv.ro>’' he California Supreme Court ruled Aug. 12 that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom did not have the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and declared the licenses issued to thousands of same-sex couples invalid. More than 4,000 couples and their families are directly affect ed by the court’s decision, depriving these families of equal dignity as well as of the many legal protections granted to mar The California Supreme Court has nullified the thousands of ried couples under California marriage licenses that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom law. Among the families are Del issued to same-sex couples Martin and Phyllis Lyon, the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage license j spirit of the GtxxJridge decision and that Mass achusetts should not be in the business of dis Feb. 12 in San Francisco. “Del is 83 years old, and 1 am 79,” Lyon said. criminating against gay and lesbian families.” “After being together for more than 50 years, it The case was filed June 18 on behalf of is a terrible blow to have the rights and protec couples from across New England and New tions of marriage taken away from us. At our York who stated that they were nonresidents age, we do not have the luxury of time.” when they applied for marriage licenses and The court did not rule on the ultimate issue now face claims that their marriages are void. of whether excluding same-sex couples from Three of the eight couples were denied licens obtaining government-issued marriage licenses es altogether. violates the California Constitution’s guarantees Together with another suit by 13 city and of equality, liberty and privacy. That question is town clerks challenging the same law, attorneys sought a preliminary injunction barring the at the center of a separate lawsuit pending in San Francisco Superior Court. Legal briefs will state from enforcing the statute pending a final be filed in the next few weeks, and the case is decision in the case. The ruling by Suffolk Supe expected to move quickly. rior Court Judge Carol S. Ball denies the cou ples’ and the clerks’ request for immediate relief “This is a painful and difficult day for the but makes no final determination on the merits thousands of couples whose love, commitment and desire to protect their families was placed on of the pending lawsuits. hold,” said Kate Kendell, National Center for “This case is still alive,” Granda explained. “The trial court will hear further argument on Lesbian Rights executive director. “While their families are not yet treated equally, their coura the merits, and the case will be decided on geous public declarations have shown the world appeal. We’re confident of our ultimate success." the harm caused by marriage discrimination and The plaintiff couples sought legal marriage as the best route to strengthen their family, gain will result in our ultimately obtaining the free hundreds of legal protections and responsibili dom to marry.” Bob Kearney, American Civil Liberties Union ties that are otherwise off-limits and provide greater security for their children. of Northern California associate director, added: “In 1948, the California Supreme Court was the “This is a very, very hard day for us,” said first in the country to end race discrimination in plaintiff Bobbi Cote-Whitacre, who has been marriage. We are confident that the court will live with her partner, Sandi, for more than 36 years. up to its own history and bring a swift end to mar “We know that someday this unfair disrespect of riage discrimination in California.” our family will end. We now know that people out there understand and appreciate our con MASSACHUSETTS cerns as a lesbian couple about aging, illness and trial judge Aug. 18 declined immediate retirement.” relief to eight out-of-state same-sex couples Michael Thome, who has been with his part who filed a lawsuit challenging the constitu ner, James Theberge, for 21 years and adopted tionality and discriminatory enforcement of a their 2-year-old son in Massachusetts, added: 1913 law that state officials are using to exclude “Jim and I have lived in Massachusetts for a com- nonresident queers from marrying in Massachu bined total of 66 years. We have trouble under setts. Gay &. Lesbian Advocates & Defenders standing why Massachusetts would let us form a plans to appeal this decision. family through adoption but would refuse to let “While this is clearly a disappointment for us strengthen our family through marriage.” the families and many others, we are not dis couraged,” attorney Michele Granda said. “In NATIONAL fact, the decision provides us with validation of he Human Rights Campaign board of our core argument: that the law violates the directors adopted a policy Aug. 7 to only support the Employment Non discrimination Act if it includes gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation. The decision comes in the wake of an Aug. 3 statement by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force demanding trans inclusion. In addition, Transsexual Menace staged a demonstration Aug. 7 out side HRC headquarters in Wash ington, D.C., along with a handful of organizations including the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, Pride at Work and Par Nonresident couple Sandi (left) and Bobbi Cote-Whitacre ents, Families and Friends of Les are suing the state of Massachusetts for the right to marry bians and Gays.
