EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors: “Prop. 8 destroys the fundamental principle of equal protection”

SAN FRANCISCO – Equality California (EQCA) Executive Director Geoff Kors released the following statement regarding today’s oral arguments asking the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8.

“Last November, a simple majority of California voters passed Proposition 8 and took away a fundamental right from a minority group. If allowed to stand, Prop. 8 will prove to be a great deal more insidious than most voters ever realized.

“By taking away a fundamental right from one group, Prop. 8 destroys the fundamental principle of equal protection – a principle codified in our Constitution and intended to protect minority groups from the oppression of the majority. Without the right to equal protection, every Californian risks discrimination at the ballot box.

“Equality California has sued on behalf of our members to invalidate Prop. 8. Today, our team of attorneys, led by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU, argued that Prop. 8 usurps the guarantee of equal protection and bypasses our legal safeguards. More than 300 leading civil rights organizations, legal scholars, and faith leaders submitted amicus briefs to the court, indicating their support of our argument. And this week, the state Assembly and state Senate passed resolutions stating their belief that Prop. 8 is an invalid revision to the Constitution.

“But victory in the courts is far from certain and no matter the outcome, the work to achieve acceptance and understanding must continue. Prop. 8 showed how much work there is left to be done and invalidating that discriminatory, unconstitutional amendment is just the beginning.

“Last year, the Supreme Court of California guaranteed the right to marry for same-sex couples. This year, they must do what is right again and invalidate Prop. 8. Regardless of the decision, we must do our part. We must continue our struggle until all LGBT people across California and the world will realize full and total equality.”
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Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. In the past decade, EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. EQCA has passed over 50 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org