The California Supreme Court has barred judges from non-profit youth organizations like the Boy Scouts of America that discriminate against LGBT people. The change to judicial ethics rules will effectively prevent judges in California from participating in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), which bans gay and lesbian adults from serving as leaders in the…
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to revive Proposition 8, ending the last remaining legal challenge to same-sex marriage in the state. The Los Angeles Times reported that in its challenge before the state’s highest court ProtectMarriage, Prop. 8’s sponsors argued that a single judge lacked the authority to overturn a state…
Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Prop 8 was voted into law in 2008 and established in the California Constitution that marriage is the union between one man and one woman. The ruling does not mean same-sex couples can marry again in California. The…
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will make an official ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 by Tuesday at 10 am the court announced Monday. The three-judge panel heard arguments more than a year ago but has not made an official ruling on whether or not the same-sex marriage ban violates the rights of…
The California Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will hold a hearing in September to resolve arguments surrounding the state’s current ban on same-sex marriage under Proposition 8. On September 6, 2011, the court will take on the question of whether or not ballot initiative sponsors are justified in their attempts to fight court rulings…
LGBT advocates have repeatedly urged the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the stay preventing a definitive ruling in the Prop. 8 trial — and Palm Springs resident Ed Watson is no exception. Like so many gay couples, Ed and his partner Derence want desperately to see an end to the trial so they…
California’s attorney general Kamala Harris requested today that a federal appeals court allow same-sex marriages to resume during the California Supreme Court’s consideration of legal questions surrounding the state’s ban on gay marriage. In a letter to the 9th Ciruit Court of Appeals, Harris argued that a continued enforcement of Proposition 8 was in direct…
The Williams Institute, a national think tank dedicated to advances in sexual orientation law and public policy, offered comments today in response to the Department of Justices’ recent decision concerning the Defense of Marriage Act. Attorney General Eric Holder announced yesterday that the Department of Justice will no longer defend the constitutionality of Section 3…
The Department of Justice announced today that it believes courts should apply heightened scrutiny to laws that classify people on sexual orientation such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender statuses. In light of the heightened awareness, the Defense of Marriage Act is now in the spotlight. In wake of the news, Attorney General Eric Holder…
The California Supreme Court granted the request to take a certified question today, as requested by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The question challenged the legitimacy of Prop. 8 in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger California case. How will this affect the LGBT community and politics everywhere in the nation? If a…
