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January 12, 2010

Federal Trial on Same-Sex Marriage Ban Begins in California
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A federal trial over California’s ban on same-sex marriage opened Monday
in San Francisco. The trial is the first in any federal court over
same-sex marriage and is the first step in a case that could reach the
Supreme Court. During the opening day of the trial, same-sex couples
said they’re second-class citizens without the equal right to wed.

Bruce Cohen, of the American Foundation for Equal Rights: “We think the
consequences have been huge already just in the last week with the news
cycle, the amount of attention that this issue has been given, and is
hopefully getting to people that haven’t thought about it a lot. There’s
a small percentage of Americans who feel really strongly one way or the
other about this issue, but there are a lot of Americans who haven’t
really thought about gay marriage, don’t really understand what’s at
stake, haven’t heard both sides of the story. And for us to have a
chance to explain to people why we have the right to be in love and to
get married just like every other American and that it’s a fundamental
right guaranteed us by the Constitution, that’s going to be huge
regardless of the outcome of the case, although we are very much hoping
that we will win, of course, and believe we have the lawyers to take us
there."

Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund said the court should not
overturn the decision of the California voters to ban same-sex marriage.

Jordan Lorence, Alliance Defense Fund: "This is where the people listen
to discussions, listen to the debates, and find and reach some sort of
decision on their own. And the court should basically leave those
decisions alone and let—and if people want to change it over time, it’s
up to them. But it’s not for a court or a bunch of rich activists that
are funding this case to come in and basically trump what the—what the
people have already decided.”



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