U.S. Conference of Mayors President & Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and Mayors of Atlanta, Chapel Hill, San Antonio, Santa Fe, and St. Paul Mark Beginning of LGBT Pride Month by Urging SCOTUS to Strike Down DOMA & Bans on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2013
Contact: Respect For Marriage Coalition Office / 202-567-5720
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. — As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to issue historic rulings in two cases challenging Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and state bans on marriage for same-sex couples including California’s “Proposition 8,” six of the nation’s top mayors marked the beginning of LGBT Pride month by urging the Supreme Court to extend the freedom to marry to all loving couples. On a press conference call Wednesday, hosted by the Respect for Marriage Coalition, Philadelphia Mayor and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Michael Nutter, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, called on the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure that loving, committed same-sex couples have the same rights and protections under the law as other married couples.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously approved a resolution in 2009 expressing support for the freedom to marry and the extension of rights and benefits to all loving couples.
“When the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution four years ago, we made it clear that we believe in full equality for all loving and committed couples. As the Supreme Court prepares to issue their rulings on these two historic cases, we all stand together to urge the Court to put an end to the discriminatory laws that treat gay and lesbian Americans as second-class citizens,” said Philadelphia Mayor & U.S. Conference of Mayors President Michael Nutter.
“The United States Supreme Court is emblazoned with the words “equal protection under the law” and that’s exactly what is at stake this month when the Court rules in these two cases. The City of Atlanta derives great strength in our diversity, and gay and lesbian couples in my city, and cities across the U.S., deserve all of the protections and benefits available to other couples,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
“The Supreme Court’s decisions this month are especially important to cities like Chapel Hill that are in conservative states. Just last year, North Carolina voted to ban marriage for same-sex couples. Without a national solution to grant equal rights to all loving couples, gay and lesbians in Chapel Hill and across our state will continue to face challenges and discrimination,” said Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt.
“As the mayor of a city with one of the largest populations of LGBT couples raising children in the United States, I believe that same-sex couples in San Antonio—and across this country—should be entitled to the same rights and benefits as all other couples. It is time for the Supreme Court to overturn DOMA and strike down California’s “Proposition 8” so that gay and lesbian couples nationwide are treated equally and fairly under the law,” said San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro.
“I am so proud that here in Minnesota we can kick-off Pride Month celebrating the passage of equal rights for all couples. But, our work isn’t done. Despite legalizing the freedom to marry in my state, DOMA still prevents gay Minnesotans from having the same rights and protections as straight couples. I am hopeful the Supreme Court will strike down DOMA and extend equality to all couples,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.
The United States Conference of Mayors joined an amicus brief filed by 278 businesses, cities, and other employers, along with organizations that represent employers, advising the Supreme Court of the impact of DOMA upon the American employer and urging the Court to affirm the decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to find Section 3 of the DOMA unconstitutional. Although 12 states and Washington, D.C., have now passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage, 38 states still do not allow gay couples to marry. Only St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman represents a city where same-sex couples are granted the same marriage rights as straight couples, with Minnesota passing freedom to marry legislation last month. Same-sex couples in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and New Mexico currently do not have the freedom to marry. The federal government also still cannot recognize legally married same-sex couples because of DOMA. The law, passed by Congress in 1996, denies legally married same-sex couples more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections that straight married couples receive.
Mayors who participated in today’s call are members of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry coalition.
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The Respect for Marriage Coalition is a partnership of more than 100 civil rights, faith, health, labor, business, legal, LGBT, student, and women's organizations working together to end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and grow support for the freedom to marry. The Coalition is co-chaired by Freedom to Marry and the Human Rights Campaign.