Labor unions, churches to fight gay marriage ban in court

Labor unions and some churches announced Tuesday that they planned to file friend-of-the-court briefs in support of invalidating Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in the state.

The California Council of Churches and other faith organizations including the Progressive Jewish Alliance representing millions of members said they will file on Thursday.

On Friday, a coalition of labor unions representing more than 2 million California workers said they planned to file their own brief. The briefs will support the lawsuits filed by gay-rights groups the day after Proposition 8 was enacted.

The California Supreme Court has agreed to take the case and could hear arguments as soon as March.

See Labor unions, churches to fight gay marriage ban in court
Los Angeles Times, CA -

Published by

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/labor-unions-…

Religious leaders, faith organizations file lawsuit to invalidate Prop 8

Today, the California Council of Churches and other religious leaders and faith organizations representing millions of members filed a petition with the California Supreme Court asking the to invalidate Proposition 8. The petition argues that Proposition 8 poses a severe threat to the guarantee of equal protection for all and was not enacted through the constitutionally required process for such a dramatic change to the California Constitution.

The petition is filed on behalf of the California Council of Churches, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, two Episocopal bishops (of California and Los Angeles), the Progressive Jewish Alliance, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California, and the Northern and Southern California Nevada Conferences of the United Church of Christ. The groups are represented by Eric Isaacson, based in San Diego, and by Jon B. Eisenberg of Eisenberg and Hancock, LLP, based in Oakland.

“Proposition 8 poses a grave threat to religious freedom,” said Rev. Rick Schlosser, executive director of the California Council of Churches. “If the Court permits gay men and lesbians to be deprived of equal protection by a simple amjority vote, religious minorities could be denied equal protection as well — a terrible irony in a nation founded by people who emigrated to escape religious persecution. If the Court permits Proposition 8 to take effect, religious discrimination similarly could be written into California’s Consitution.”

For a copy of the brief, visit www.calchurches.org/marriage.