Apr 28, 2015

Equality NC Joins 23 Organizations in Multi-state Brief Urging Supreme Court to Find in Favor of Freedom to Marry

Raleigh, N.C. – (March 6, 2015) Equality NC joined 22 fellow pro-equality organizations from across the country in signing on to an Amicus Curiae (“friend of the court”) brief filed March 6th by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in the marriage equality cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

CLICK HERE to access the brief.

The 64-page brief was submitted in support of a national resolution on the issue of marriage equality. Oral arguments conclude on April 28.

“The fact of the matter is that loving, same-gender married couples already live in every state in this nation, including North Carolina,” said Chris Sgro, Equality NC’s executive director. “We are your neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family and we expect to be treated equally. We directly call upon the U.S. Supreme Court to acknowledge this fact and finally bring a national resolution to the issue of marriage equality.”

The multi-state brief makes the argument that the U.S. Constitution demands equal treatment under the law, and that heightened scrutiny should be applied to any law that seeks to discriminate against persons based on sexual orientation.

In addition to the large membership of organizations under The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, 22 organizations signed on to the brief, including:

• 9to5
• American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity
• Andrew Goodman Foundation
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles
• California Association of Human Relations Organizations
• Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, California State University, San Bernardino
• Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
• Courage Campaign
• Disability Policy Consortium
• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
• Empire State Pride Agenda
• Equal Rights Advocates
• Equality NC
• Fairness West Virginia, Inc.
• Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality
• Institute for Science and Human Values
• National Association of Human Rights Workers
• National Black Justice Coalition
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
• National LGBTQ Task Force
• Women’s Equal Rights Legal Defense