FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
CONTACT:
Unbendable Media : 516-841-1105 : couragecampaign@unbendablemedia.com
Today, the Courage Campaign is calling on President Obama to speak out more forcefully in support of Marriage Equality. With the Supreme Court set to take up Prop 8 and DOMA now more than ever the President’s leadership is needed on this issue.
You can see the email they sent their members below:
Dear Adam,
President Obama has said same-sex marriage is fine by him, but the Supreme Court will consider a more fundamental issue than that: whether a state ban on same-sex marriage violates the guarantee of Equal Protection under the U.S. Constitution. And so it’s time for President Obama and his Department of Justice to weigh in. This is important for a few simple reasons, Adam:
#1: Ted Olson says it is(1). In comments on Friday’s decision, Olson said:
“I would hate to predict what the United States government is doing, but given the stand the president of the United States and the attorney general of the United States made with respect to marriage equality, we would certainly hope that they would participate…I think that, given the position that the government has taken in the DOMA cases and the reasoning that they have used in filing their brief would apply with great effect in our case, the Perry case, as well.“
#2: The Supreme Court listens to what the Administration says. The Supreme Court frequently asks the Administration to give its views in many different cases. Taking action could help influence the Supreme Court to “go broad” and strike down same-sex marriage bans nationwide.
#3: Doing so would help increase the level of public support for same-sex marriage. Many legal scholars say the Supreme Court never wants to get out ahead of the states. Our job as advocates is to show the Supreme Court that the public is with us. Right now, a bare majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. If the Department of Justice tells the Supreme Court it believes banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, it will make headlines nationwide and keep the numbers moving in the right direction.
On Friday, the White House and the Department of Justice refused to comment on the Administration’s views concerning Proposition 8(2). Not good enough. We need our “fierce advocate” in the White House to do right by the LGBT community, and take this simple, but hugely important, action.
Thanks for all you’re doing,
Rick Jacobs
Chair and Founder, Courage Campaign
(1) President Obama Still Hasn’t Answered One Question on Marriage Equality, Buzzfeed, December 9th, 2012, http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/president-obama-still-hasnt-answered-one-question
- Why Obama must weigh in again on same-sex marriage, The Washington Post, December 10th, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/10/why-obama-must-weigh-in-again-on-gay-marriage/?hpid=z2
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CourageCampaign.org is an online organizing network that empowers more than 750,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. As a leading multi-issue advocacy organization, Courage Campaign’s work is supported by thousands of small donations from our diverse community.