This was the scene the other day at the LGBT Center at a Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club meeting in support of Community Choice Aggregation.
Here’s a report from KPIX Channel 5 (if you can handle a commercial beforehand.)
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor David Campos, Carole Migden, Paul Fenn, John Rizzo, Chris Jackson, and Eric Brooks, among others, were all there:
The fight over Proposition 16 is hotting up, certainly.
Once again, our little town is getting some attention from the Roberts Court – an order just came down from the U.S. Supremes about their temporary ban on broadcasts of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, San Francisco’s Proposition 8 / gay rights case.
It’s interesting to note that vaunted Vaughn R. Walker, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, was working on this very issue of cameras in the courtroom just few months back.
San Francisco City Hall Examiner Sweet Melissa Griffin makes a point as Judge Walker looks on, as seen last year:
The Future is Coming, of course, so we’ll have federal trials on YouTube sooner or later…
Filling up the void of information comes attorney Ted Olson. Get his punta de vista from this morning below.
UPDATE: And get the text of his opening statement after the jump.
Ted Olson to Make Opening Statement in Prop. 8 Trial/Avail Info
Trial on Unconstitutionality of Prop. 8 Begins in U.S. District Court; Plaintiffs To Testify First For latest information, visit equalrightsfoundation.org
The federal trial over the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 will begin Monday, January 11 with an opening statement by attorney Theodore Olson, who with David Boies is leading the legal team assembled by the American Foundation for Equal Rights to litigate the case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Opening statements will be followed by testimony from Kris Perry, Sandy Stier, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, who comprise two couples who wish to be married but who were denied marriage licenses because of Proposition 8.
– For courthouse access information, visit:
https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/09cv2292/
– For information about remote viewing locations, visit:
http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/news/watch-prop-8-trial-live/
– Visit http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/ for updates regarding
potential broadcast of trial, photos, any available footage, court
filings, live tweets from the courthouse and more.
– Plaintiff’s case is outlined at
http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/legal-filings/plaintiffs-trial-brief/
Olson and Boies notably represented George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore respectively in the 2000 Supreme Court case that decided the presidency.
At trial, Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, will weigh witness testimony, a multitude of documents and other evidence, and arguments presented by some of the nation’s most distinguished attorneys.
“This unequal treatment of gays and lesbians denies them the basic liberties and equal protection under the law that are guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” the plaintiffs’ suit states.
According to the suit, Prop. 8:
– Violates the Due Process Clause by impinging on fundamental liberties.
– Violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
– Singles out gays and lesbians for a disfavored legal status, thereby
creating a category of “second-class citizens.”
– Discriminates on the basis of gender.
– Discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation.
Olson and Boies will also point out the “crazy quilt” of separate, unequal and unconstitutional classifications of people that Prop. 8 has compelled the California government to create:
– Opposite-sex couples who have full marriage rights
– Same-sex couples who have no marriage rights
– Same-sex couples married between May and Nov. 2008 whose current
marriages are recognized, but who will be unable to remarry if widowed
or divorced
– Same-sex couples married in other states who may petition California
for recognition.
The defendants have the burden of demonstrating that Prop. 8 is narrowly drawn to serve a compelling government interest. Olson and Boies will demonstrate at trial, however, that the initiative fails to advance even a single legitimate interest. Tellingly, when asked by Chief Judge Walker at an Oct. 14 hearing to identify any harm to opposite-sex marriage that would result from marriage equality, the defendants’ attorney answered “I don’t know.”
The case against Prop. 8 has proceeded with uncommon speed toward trial. In an order issued after the first hearing in the case, Chief Judge Walker stated: “Given that serious questions are raised in these proceedings … the court is inclined to proceed directly and expeditiously to the merits of plaintiffs’ claims. … The just, speedy and inexpensive determination of these issues would appear to call for proceeding promptly to trial.”
“More than 30 years ago, the United States Supreme Court recognized that marriage is one of the basic rights of man,” the suit states, referring to the Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia.
Chad Griffin, board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, noted that near the time when the Supreme Court struck down interracial marriage bans with its 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, a Gallup poll found that 73 percent of Americans did not approve of interracial marriage.
While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown were named defendants in their official capacities, along with other state and county officials, Prop. 8 is being defended in court by a prominent conservative organization, the Alliance Defense Fund. Gov. Schwarzenegger earlier filed a brief that did not dispute the unconstitutionality of Prop. 8, and called for swift action by the courts. Attorney General Brown, the state’s chief law enforcement officer, filed a brief agreeing with the plaintiffs’ position that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional.
The ACLU, Lambda Legal, and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) are participating in the case as amici (friends of the court) in support of the plaintiffs. The City and County of San Francisco, led by City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart, are supporting the plaintiffs’ team as co-counsel, with a specific focus on the negative impact Prop. 8 has on government services and budgets. Herrera and Stewart led the legal battle toward the California Supreme Court decision that struck down California’s previous same-sex marriage ban.
The American Foundation for Equal Rights Advisory Board, which was announced January 9th, includes Julian Bond, Lt. Dan Choi, Margaret Hoover, Dolores Huerta, Cleve Jones, Stuart Milk, David Mixner, Hillary Rosen and Judy Shepard. For more information, see http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/press-releases/american-foundation-for-eq ual-rights-names-advisory-board/.
Olson is a former U.S. Solicitor General and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent constitutional lawyers, and has argued 55 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court. Boies ranks as one of the leading trial lawyers of his generation, having secured landmark victories for clients in numerous areas of the law. This is the first time they have served alongside each other as co-counsel.
Kris Perry and Sandy Stier have been together for nine years and are the parents of four boys. Perry is Executive Director of First 5 California, a state agency that promotes education and health for children under five. She holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an MSW from San Francisco State University. Stier is Information Technology Director for the Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services Agency. She is originally from Iowa and is a graduate of the University of Iowa. Perry and Stier first tried to marry in 2004, after the City of San Francisco began issuing licenses. They live in Berkeley, CA.
Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo have been together for eight years. Katami is a fitness expert and business owner who graduated from Santa Clara University before receiving his graduate degree from UCLA. Zarrillo is the General Manager of a theater exhibition company. A native of New Jersey, Zarrillo graduated from Montclair State University. Having wanted to marry each other for more than two years, they considered options including traveling to other states for a “civil union,” but felt any alternative fell short of marriage. They live in Burbank, CA.
They have issued the following joint statement: “We and our relationships should be treated equally under the law. Our goal is to advance the cause of equality for all Americans, which is the promise that makes this nation so great.”
Source: American Foundation for Equal Rights
Web Site: http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/
This is why you’ve been saving your pennies the past few months – it’s DEFYING INEQUALITY: The San Francisco Concert. Learn about the connection to the fantastic Wicked play here (and also find out about a possible discount, if you’re into that.) Get your tickets here. Via GoingSF:
“The special evening, presented by the San Francisco cast of Wicked, will include Patty Duke ( The Miracle Worker, Valley of the Dolls), Bruce Vilanch (writer – Academy Awards, Hairspray National Tour), Judy Gold (Emmy Award winner), Laughing Pizza (Parents Choice Awards, PBS daily), Matt Alber (singer/songwriter – Hide Nothing), Clifford Banagale ( Bruno, Altar Boyz), Boylesque, Connie Champagne ( Christmas with the Crawfords, Valley of the Dolls – stage production), Carmen Cusack ( South Pacific, Wicked), Ava Garter (burlesque star), Selene Luna ( The Cho Show), Meg Mackay & Billy Philadelphia (Winner of seven Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award), Empress XXX Donna Sachet (TV Host, COMCAST/Columnist, B.A.R.), Scott Matthew (singer/songwriter – Scott Matthew, Shortbus), Ryan Rigazzi ( Beach Blanket Babylon), Vocal Minority – An SFGMC Ensemble, Suzanne Whang ( Househunters, Las Vegas), and many more.”
Click to expand
More deets. See you there!
“On Monday, October 26, 2009 at 7:30 p.m., the San Francisco cast of Wicked, along with members of the San Francisco arts community (and beyond), is coming together for one of the most important events of the year – Defying Inequality: The San Francisco Concert, a one-night only concert benefitting Marriage Equality USA and Garden State Equality – two equal rights organizations. Featuring stars from stage & screen, the concert will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (3301 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA). A VIP reception will be held in the lobby immediately following the event. For tickets and information, please contact City Box Office at (415) 392-4400 and visit defyinginequality.com (click on San Francisco).
“The concert will be directed by Joe Dulude II with musical direction by Bryan Perri.
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority wants you to come to their Open House tonight in the Sunset District. Why? They need help in deciding how to spend all that Prop K money. That’s right comrades, the great, exalted SFCTA, the Vanguard of the Proletariat, will listen to us bednyaks when preparing the next glorious Five Year Plan.
Public Open House: Monday, July 20, 2009, Sunset Recreation Center, 2201 Lawton St., 6:00 – 8:00 PM
If there is hope for MUNI, it lies in the proles. West Portal, back in the day:
Click to expand. Via mod as hell
If you can’t handle a little fog, then try these on for size:
See you there!
Upcoming milestones meant to encourage and enable public input particularly in determining which projects will receive Prop K funds in the next five years.
Click here to download information on the public open houses (information is also detailed below).
July 2009
– Provisional Adoption of the 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan (ACTION)
– Review of Updated 5YPPs (INFORMATION)
– Provisional Adoption of the 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan (ACTION)
– Review of Updated 5YPPs (INFORMATION)
– Provisional Adoption of the 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan (ACTION)
August 2009
September 2009
– Adoption of 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan as Amended (ACTION)
– Adoption of Updated 5YPPs (ACTION)
– Adoption of Fiscal Year 2009/10 Annual Allocations (if relevant 5YPPs have been adopted) (ACTION)
– Adoption of 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan as Amended (ACTION)
– Adoption of Updated 5YPPs (ACTION)
– Adoption of Fiscal Year 2009/10 Annual Allocations (if relevant 5YPPs have been adopted) (ACTION)
– Adoption of 2009 Prop K Strategic Plan as Amended (ACTION)
– Adoption of Updated 5YPPs (ACTION)
– Adoption of Fiscal Year 2009/10 Annual Allocations (if relevant 5YPPs have been adopted) (ACTION)
* All meeting dates and times are subject to change.
Just minutes after the news came down from the California Supreme Court this morning, a crowd of hundreds on McAllister Street started marching past City Hall towards Van Ness Avenue. (Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Minister of Information Nate Ballard can be seen Twittering the scene camera left):
“Prop 8 – A Modern Day Witch Hunt”:
The marchers ended up at Grove and Van Ness to block the intersection with the intent of some them doing whatever it takes to get arrested. Supervisorial candidates Debra Walker and Rafael Mandelman linking up to block the street:
After a while, the people blocking the intersection started to sit down…
…under the pouring sun
Interestingly, all the cops in with the crowd blocking the normally busy intersection were “liason officers” familiar with the Castro area and the No on 8 movement. That’s quite a different approach compared to the way the SFPD handled the White Night Riots of three decades ago.
Non “liason officers” standing guard outside of the scrum:
The California Highway Patrol was up in the sky – there’ll be no embarrassment for them today, unlike this situation from last year when they didn’t know what was going on at first. Orbiting low and slow with the flaps extended a bit. It’s a living…
All the while, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera was hosting a news conference inside City Hall:
The names of same-sex couples adorn this sculpture in the South Light Court:
Dennis Herrera with Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart:
See what they, and others had to say about today’s decision, after the jump
The anti-Prop 8 crowd in San Francisco has managed to express itself without getting arrested so far but all that might change on Tuesday, when the California Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling.
Read below for some of what’s planned.
There’s lots of interest in this issue around town - here’s Market Street a few month’s back:
Civil Disobedience if the Court Upholds Prop 8
“This morning, the CA Supreme Court announced that next Tuesday, May 26, we will have a decision about Prop 8. A dangerous precedent has been set that any minority’s rights can be stripped away at the ballot, but the Supreme Court has the opportunity to restore justice and sanity.
“Our rights hang in the balance. Now is the time to act. Next Tuesday, join us for an interfaith prayer service at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis Lutheran Church in San Francisco (at the corner of Church & Market). Following the service, we will march down Market St. to the Civic Center, where we’ll gather with our community to hear the Court’s decision.”
Tuesday should be memorable no matter how the Court rules.
San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar addressed a crowd of about 100 or so cab drivers (if you include those who were circling City Hall in their taxis) yesterday. They were all there to oppose changes to the Proposition K method of distributing taxi medallions.
This issue is getting national attention, so read all about it. And listen about these matters as well, courtesy of this radio Forum from Michael Krasny.
Driver Yvonne from Brazil has been supporting three kids by driving in San Francisco the past 15 years. She doesn’t cotton to anyone changing the rules after such a long wait:
The Asian Law Caucus and United Taxicab Workers helped to organize this pre-hearing rally:
The famous letter signed by Mayor Gavin Newsom:
“Respect voters’ wishes on Prop K”
To Be Continued…
This is just like a sports match today in Civic Center- hot dog vendors, Jumbotron TVs broadcasting the action, and cheers and boos from the home team fans.
Get the play by play from Attorney General Jerry Brown and see a bit of the action below, via the photstream of Steve Rhodes – He’s Everywhere you Want To Be.
Let’s take a look:
Repeal Prop 8, Separate Church and State:
And a word to the Court Justices: “Don’t Eff It Up.”
To Be Continued…
This is what it looked like this evening in San Francisco’s Castro District, the starting off point for the Eve of Justice march to the Civic Center. Tomorrow, the California Supreme Court will hear the challenges to Proposition 8.
A large crowd gathering near the Castro Theatre. Click to expand:
Joseph Smith had 34, Brigham Young had 55…
What civil rights Would Jesus Deny?
Headed towards Civic Center:
Stewie Griffin:
Lots of people and lots of signs filling Market Street.
It will start up again tomorrow morning…
It appears that former California Governor Jerry Brown will be a-Twittering away tomorrow to keep Twitter-ees apprised of Proposition 8 developments at the California State Supreme Court in San Francisco.
Also, he just released his thoughts about Prop 8 (in old-school “140+ character” format):
Proposition 8 Should Be Struck Down
by Jerry Brown
The California Supreme Court finds itself center stage tomorrow when it will hear oral arguments on whether it should uphold Proposition 8’s ban on same-sex marriage. The case touches the heart of our democracy and poses a profound question: can a bare majority of voters strip away an inalienable right through the initiative process? If so, what possible meaning does the word inalienable have?
Who will be the next to catch Twitter fever?
“The state faced a dilemma like this before. In 1964, 65 percent of California voters approved Proposition 14, which would have legalized racial discrimination in the selling or renting of housing. Both the California and U.S. Supreme Courts struck down this proposition, concluding that it amounted to an unconstitutional denial of rights.
As California’s Attorney General, I believe the Court should strike down Proposition 8 for remarkably similar reasons – because it unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex couples and deprives them of the fundamental right to marry.
More after the jump
