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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.