Savor Spring!
March 21 - April 3, 2013 | www.sfbaytimes.com
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On The Path to Marriage Equality ing moment in our entire community’s decades-long struggle for equality under the law. These cases could decide the fundamental issue of whether the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality truly extend to lesbian and gay people. As our community stands before the U.S. Supreme Court, and
All eyes will turn to the United States Supreme Court next week as the Justices hear oral arguments in two potentially landmark cases: the challenge to Proposition 8, that took away the freedom to marry from same-sex couples in California, and the challenge to Section 3 of the misnamed “Defense of Marriage Act,” which denies legally married same-sex couples over 1,000 rights, protections, and responsibilities under federal law simply because they are gay. Never before has the Court heard two significant gay rights cases simultaneously, and the Court’s rulings in these cases (expected in late June 2013) could be a defin-
Before Proposition 8, the California Supreme Court issued an historic decision of its own in May 2008 when it removed the last barrier to marriage equality in California and held that the state’s then existing statutory ban on marriage for same-sex couples violated the state constitution. Thanks to that ruling, all Californians enjoyed a fundamental state constitutional right to marry the person they loved — regardless of their race, religion, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity. A person’s fundamental right to marry, and to have the highest state recognition and protection for their relationship, depended upon their humanity – and their humanity
PHOTO COURTESY OF STUART GAF F N EY AN D JOHN L EWIS
(Editor’s note: The “Bay Times” is proud to launch this first article in a series that will be tracking the marriage equality rights movement over the next several months. Our thanks go to Stuart Gaffney, John Lewis and their colleagues for making the series possible.)
at rallies in San Francisco and all around the country next week, the potentially historic nature of these cases is unmistakable. Decades of tireless activism have all been leading to this very moment.
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PHOTO COURTES Y OF KA RE N WI LLI AM S
Connections Bay T ime s colum n ist K a ren Wi l l ia ms recent ly met First L ady M ichel le Obama at The White House.
OF F ICIA L WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY PETE SOUZA
By Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis
Ju s t i c e S o n i a S o t o m a y o r hu g s h e r mother Celina at the end of a reception for t he Supreme Cour t Just ice i n t he East Room of the White House.
Read Karen’s story on page 10.
N e w l y e l e c t e d Po p e F r a n c i s I a n d C a r d i n a l Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of Rome, embrace on March 16, 2013. R e a d o u r g u e s t e d i t o r i a l b y F r. D o n a l Godfrey about Pope Francis I on page 8. Enjoy the photospread Round About–Spring Galas on page 6.
PH OTO B Y G E O R G E MART EL L/ BO STON CATHOL IC
Just ice Sotomayor recent ly received a letter from 6t h g rader, Cameron, t he daughter of a lesbian couple. Cameron wrote about why equality matters to her fa m i ly. Much to her sur pr ise, Just ice Sotomayor wrote back. While Justice Sotomayor said she could not directly comment on marriage equality, due to the impending cases, she told Cameron, “I know dreams can come true when you work hard to achieve them. In the years to come, I wish you the joy of dreaming big, work ing hard, and succeeding in all that you do.” See the letter from Justice Sotomayor on page 7.