Let Them Marry!

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Let Them Marry

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Let Them Marry – Local Response

 Sacramento, CA – While it isn’t a huge surprise to most, the filing of a “Memorandum in Opposition” for Judge Walker to end the stay requested by the Yes on Prop 8 organization by California Attorney General Jerry Brown and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today was a welcome site to the LGBT Community here in Sacramento.

 In short, the Memorandum says the Governor and State Attorney General sees no reason to hold off issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and urges the court to deny a permanent stay until the Federal Court of Appeals is able to rule on the appeal. The earliest the Appeals Court could even look at the case would be December of this year.

 In a statement by the Executive Director of the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, Wendy Rae Hill  says, “I applaud Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown for their courageous and just opinion that the same-sex marriages in the State of California should resume immediately.  To continue denying same-sex couples their right to a marriage license perpetuates the discrimination and second class citizenship status that has harmed thousands of couples and their families since Proposition 8 was passed.”

Director Hill has a very personal stake in the stay being rescinded as she is engaged to Carrie Tedrick and they are planning a November wedding. They both want to walk down the isle with their two children with a marriage license in hand.

The co-founder of Equality Action Now, while officially married to her wife, Kate Moore, “wants to attend as many weddings in the next few months as I can. The fact that our Governor and Attorney General are behind us makes it even more joyful. There really isn’t a need to hold off what will become the law of the land eventually. There is a lot of money being spent that really could be put to better use like helping the homeless and creating jobs. I hope to be a witness Monday to several friends who would like to get their marriages license and this includes straight allies who have put off their weddings until we can have our own civil rights.”

The City and County of San Francisco just filed their own opposition to the stay so it looks like there may be several more before the end of the day. Right now it is in the hands of Judge Walker and he could issue his decision today or early next week.

 Press Release | Ken Pierce

Photo | Kati Garner