Yesterday was an incredible day. A federal court affirmed what we’ve always known: all loving couples deserve to have the same rights and recognition for their relationships.
It’s incredibly rare for the state not to defend an existing law in court, but that is exactly what happened. We owe this victory in part to Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown. They could have put the state’s high-powered lawyers and resources behind Prop. 8 by defending it in court. Instead, they chose to keep the state out of the case.
We have to ensure that whoever is elected as governor and attorney general this November will maintain the state’s stand for equality.
Attorney General Brown told the court more than a year ago that Prop. 8 was unconstitutional. Both Brown, who is running for governor, and Kamala Harris, who is running for attorney general, have said that they will not defend Prop. 8 in court if they are elected.
We must ensure that the two other candidates for these offices—Meg Whitman and Steve Cooley—also promise to stand for equality.
Tell Meg and Steve: Pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution—Don’t defend Prop. 8.
Let them know that, if they choose to discriminate against same-sex couples, they can expect us to oppose them vehemently with our votes and our checkbooks.
In order to win in court and at the ballot box, we have to keep California’s top officials on the side of equality. Allowing our state to elect a governor and attorney general who will defend Prop. 8 would be a devastating setback.
Petition Meg Whitman and Steve Cooley right now. Tell them not to defend discrimination.
In solidarity,
Geoff Kors
Executive Director
Equality California
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