Newlyweds

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Sandy Stier & Kris Perry

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Jeffrey Zarilllo & Paul Katami

Following the amazing news from the Supreme Court of the United States yesterday all four plaintiffs in the groundbreaking California Proposition 8 case got married today. I wish to congratulate the two couples from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for taking up the struggle against a bigoted law and for the fundamental human right to choose whom we love and wish to marry  You made it happen girls and guys, enjoy the moment and may you live happily together ever after.

Congratulations Kris & Sandy and Paul & Jeffrey!

I would also like to congratulate the surprising ad hoc legal collaboration of political opponents created by jurists David Boies and Ted Olson, who with their legal teams joined forces to overturn a legislation that they saw as as deeply immoral and bigoted.

Congratulations to a job well done David and Ted, and the many men and women of your legal teams, for your diligent and outstanding work to bring this case to justice and to rectify a wrongdoing.

Important Victories for Gay Rights in the U.S.A.

Two important cases were decided today by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

The first case concerned the constitutionality of the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was an American federal law, enacted in 1996, that required that the federal state should only give recognition to opposite-sex marriages in the United States and also restricted federal marriage benefits to opposite-sex marriages.

The second case concerned the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections. The measure added a new provision, to the California Constitution, which provides that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." The United States District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010, ruling that it violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the United States Constitution. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel later affirmed the decision that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional.

Through the decisions delivered by SCOTUS today
1, the Defence Of Marriage Act (DOMA) was struck down as being unconstitutional by a 5-4 majority and
2. in the the Proposition 8 case the ruling was, by a 5-4 majority, that supporters of the measure did not have legal standing (did not have the right) to appeal the lower court's ruling, thereby leaving the earlier decision that the measure was unconstitutional standing and clearing the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California.

HALLELUJA!!! 

Two Exciting Days (Updated)

"This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two key marriage cases: On Tuesday, the Court will hear oral arguments in Hollingworth v. Perry, the challenge to California's Proposition 8, and on Wednesday, the Court will hear oral arguments in Windsor v. United States, the challenge to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act."

For a live blog from the courtroom, and later a recording and a transcript of the proceedings, please visit Freedom to Marry, Live Blog

The Supreme Court is expected to announce its rulings in June 2013

You can listen to the oral arguments on Proposition 8 here.

The NOH8 Campaign In SecondLife (Updated)

Photo of Kahvy Sands by Save Zsun

The NOH8 Campaign (url) has now moved from first life into SecondLife, Kahvy Sands, one of my oldest friends inworld, informed me today.

Update
The move, according to my information, came about through the work of Thorn Andel. Kudos to him!

The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska (http://www.bouska.net) and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Proposition 8 and similar legislation around the world, with "NOH8" painted on one cheek in protest.

To join in the campaign in SecondLife you take a picture of yourself and post it among the pics on your profile.

The necessary utensils (the duct tape and the cheek painting) can be picked up free of charge at Kahvy Sands venue Big Momma´s Ballroom Update new location inserted. You get the the NOH8 stuff by touching the vase with roses in the left corner.

"The dream of marriage shouldn't just be limited to heterosexual people, it should be about two people who love each other. Period. Don't H8, it's unbecoming." -  Lisa Ling (American journalist)
...

I am going to get my picture ready next time I am inworld more than a few minutes.
---

P.S. If you would please send me your picture (fullperm), I will be happy to post it. Name the picture NOH8 and your avatar name and drop it on my profile or send it to my email lundamats@gmail.com.

Ruling on Prop. 8 Today

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today issued a ruling that Proposition 8 in California was unconstitutional by banning same-sex marriages. With this ruling (by 2-1) the Court of Appeal upheld the previous ruling by judge Vaughn R. Walker on August 4, 2010.

The ruling today was stayed in anticipation of an appeal, so same-sex marriages will not resume yet.

It is expected that the ruling will be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Read more about this story on Eddi Haskell´s Second Life (url) and Joe.My.God.

Ted Olson & David Boies interviewed about Proposition 8

Listen to the two trial lawyers - one conservative and one liberal - that united forces to overturn California´s Proposition 8 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage talk about the case and what they want to achieve. Once adversaries in 2000's Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case, now two of the United States´ premier lawyers have teamed up to make the constitutional case for same-sex marriage.

This is a fifty minutes long but extremely interesting interview by Bill Moyers in his program "Bill Moyers Journal".

If you want to watch a full re-enactment of the trial itself and more please go to MarriageTrial.com.

Förbud mot homoäktenskap rivs upp

TT-AFP meddelar följande i kväll!

En federal distriktsdomstol har ogillat delstaten Kaliforniens förbud mot äktenskap mellan personer av samma kön.

I ett skriftligt yttrande går domaren Vaughn R. Walker på medborgarrättsaktivisternas linje. De har argumenterat för att folkomröstningen 2008, som innebar att äktenskap mellan personer av samma kön skulle förbjudas, är diskriminerande och därför strider mot den amerikanska författningen.

Konservativa grupper som är emot samkönade äktenskap hade redan innan utslaget kom sagt att det ska överklagas om det gick emot deras uppfattning.

I folkomröstningen, kallad Proposition 8, fick förbudslinjen stöd av 52 procent, vilket ledde till tusentals homosexuella ställde sig i kö för att få gifta sig innan resultatet vann laga kraft. Omröstningen genomfördes bara ett halvår efter det att delstatens högsta domstol rivit upp ett tidigare förbud.

Efter ett misslyckat försök att få det senaste förbudet hävt 2009 tvingades aktivisterna driva frågan i federala domstolar – en strategi som ses som riskabel då det kan resultera i ett utslag av USA:s högsta domstol. Det skulle avgöra frågan en gång för alla utan möjlighet till överklagan.

Motståndarna till samkönade äktenskap argumenterade under 13 dagars rättsförhandlingar tidigare i år för att Proposition 8 är laglig och grundar sig på en många hundra år gammal tradition av äktenskap mellan man och kvinna.

Vaughn R. Walker är chefsdomare i the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.