4th Circuit ruling paves the way for Amendment One to be struck down by NC judge
4th Circuit ruling paves the way for Amendment One to be struck down by NC judge
Asheville, N.C. (July 28, 2014) – The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today in Bostic v. Schaefer. The three judge panel upheld the decision to strike down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling paves the way for Amendment One to be struck down in North Carolina.
The following statements are from the Campaign for Southern Equality concerning the ruling in Bostic v. Schaefer:
“Today’s ruling is further proof that there is not a single valid legal argument to uphold Amendment One. It’s not a question of if Amendment One will be struck down, but when. Each day that North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage remains on the books, families are harmed. The Campaign for Southern Equality will continue to call for swift action from the courts to overturn Amendment One, and for citizens and elected officials to take a stand against this discriminatory and immoral law,” said Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality.
“Federal courts in recent months have made clear – emphatically and unequivocally – that it is unconstitutional for state governments to discriminate against loving and committed couples who want the benefits and security that marriage provides,” said Jacob Sussman, lead counsel for plaintiffs in General Synod of the United Church of Christ vs. Cooper and partner at Tin Fulton Walker & Owen.
You can read the full Bostic v. Schaefer ruling at: http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/141167.P.pdf
In North Carolina, multiple federal challenges to Amendment One are working their way through the courts. The focus now returns to General Synod of the United Church of Christ v. Cooper, a
federal legal challenge to North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage filed in the Western District of North Carolina. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include same-sex couples and four national religious denominations – the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the Central Conference of American Rabbis – in addition to Episcopalian, Jewish and Baptist clergy from across North Carolina. Plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction in the case and are represented by the law firms of Tin Fulton Walker & Owen and Arnold & Porter LLP.
The Campaign for Southern Equality, which promotes LGBT equality across the South, is coordinating a public education campaign accompanying the case. Supporting documents and profiles of the Plaintiffs in General Synod of the UCC v. Cooper can be found at http://www.amendmentonechallenge.org.
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Based in the South, the Campaign for Southern Equality is a national effort to assert the full humanity and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in American life and to increase public support for LGBT rights.
http://www.southernequality.org