Rainbow Law Center

Marriage Equality in California!

Rainbow Law Center joins the rest of the country who values fairness and equality in applauding the decision of the California Supreme Court today in the "In re: Marriage Cases" when it said:

"Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation,"

"...we determine that the language of section 300 limiting the designation of marriage to a union “between a man and a woman” is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute, and that the remaining statutory language must be understood as making the designation of marriage available both to opposite-sex and same-sex couples. In addition, because the limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples imposed by section 308.5 can have no constitutionally permissible effect in light of the constitutional conclusions set forth in this opinion, that provision cannot stand."

You can read the entire opinion by following this link (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S147999.PDF).

Rainbow Law Center also extends its congratulations to Shannon Minter, lead counsel and litigator, who argued the case before the Supreme Court.  Mr. Minter is the Legal Director for the National Center of Lesbian Rights and is one of the most successful and recognized transgender attorneys in the country. He serves on the boards of Equality California and the Transgender Law & Policy Institute.

Finally, it seems only fitting that this decision should come down so close in time to the passing of Mildred Loving, the woman whose case before the US Supreme Court struck down the last of the anti-miscegenation laws, laws so reviled today that young people can hardly believe they used to be on the books.  Perhaps in another generation or two people will have that same reaction to the laws barring same-sex couples from marrying. 

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about.
                                                                --Mildred Loving, June 12, 2007

Creating Change and the City of Detroit

As Mary and Denise prepare to attend the 20th anniversary of Creating Change to be held in Detroit this week, it is with great excitement that we read the following announcement from Triangle (full disclosure, Denise was just named to Triangle Foundation's Board of Trustees):

Detroit City Council Welcomes Creating Change, Supports Transgender Rights On February 5, the Detroit City Council passed a two-part resolution opposing discrimination against transgender individuals and welcoming the National Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality, Creating Change. Creating Change is bringing more than 2,000 LGBT and allied activists to the Renaissance Center Feb. 6-10. Triangle Foundation, the state's leading anti-violence and advocacy organization, and the ACLU of Michigan's LGBT Project, have worked closely with City Council to include gender identity and expression in the city's anti-discrimination ordinances. "I can't think of a better time for City Council to pass this resolution than the eve of Creating Change," said Sean Kosofsky, director of policy for Triangle. "We will continue working with the ACLU to help Council translate this resolution into an ordinance that will protect Detroit's transgender residents, workers and visitors - like the ones coming this week for Creating Change." “We applaud the City Council’s passage of a resolution welcoming the Creative Change Conference and its statement that it opposes gender identity or expression discrimination," said Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the LGBT Project. "When it passed its human rights ordinance prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination in 1978, the City of Detroit demonstrated that it was a leader among major United States cities in its commitment to diversity and equal opportunity. It’s only appropriate that 30 years later, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has chosen the City of Detroit as its host for the Creating Change Conference,  where LGBT activists and allies from around the country will convene to work towards full equality and opportunity for LGBT people." Please forward widely. If you have received this message from a friend, you can sign up to receive important news and Action Alerts from Triangle Foundation here. Like what you're reading? Support Triangle Foundation's work on behalf of equality for every member of our community with a donation here. Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Triangle Foundation. This message was sent to [email protected]. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from Triangle Foundation, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in the subject line).

Govenor Granholm steps up

Governor Jennifer Granholm has signed an executive directive banning discrimination in state employment based on "gender identity or expression." The directive protects nearly 50,000 state employees in Michigan's Executive branch, which encompasses 95% of all state employees. 

The Directive will protect not only transgender workers, but any state employee who faces discrimination because they do not conform to traditional gender norms in their behavior and/or appearance. This includes unfair treatment of state employees based on masculinity or femininity.

"This just shows that the State of Michigan is moving in the right direction in regards to state employees," said Michelle Fox-Phillips, executive director of Transgender Detroit. "Our sincere thanks to Triangle Foundation for their hard work [on this issue] over the years."

"We applaud Governor Granholm's executive directive prohibiting discrimination in state employment on the basis of gender identity/expression," said Kara S. Suffredini, state legislative director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "During her second inaugural address, the governor spoke about the 'Next Michigan,' one of 'transformation and opportunity.' Today's directive brings Michigan one step closer to that vision." 

"Triangle Foundation is very proud of our advocacy for this essential change in state policy, and we applaud the willingness by the Governor to make it so," said Sean Kosofsky, Director of Policy for Triangle Foundation. "We are confident that our Governor's example will help to bring about fair and inclusive employment practices in the private sector, as well as help move the state legislature to finally amend the state's civil rights law, the Elliott-Larsen Act, to fully protect against discrimination based on both gender identity and sexual orientation. The legislature has blocked fairness for far too long."