From: Hrccomm@aol.com Date: Mon, 20 May 1996 12:20:32 -0400 Subject: Supreme Court Finds Colorado's Anti-Gay Amendment 2 Unconstitutional ________________________________________________________ NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: communications@hrcusa.org WWW: http://www.hrcusa.org ________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, May 20, 1996 SUPREME COURT FINDS COLORADO'S ANTI-GAY AMENDMENT 2 UNCONSTITUTIONAL An Outstanding Moral Victory,' Says Largest National Gay Organization WASHINGTON --The U.S. Supreme Court acted in the true interest of justice today by overturning Colorado's discriminatory Amendment 2, said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian and gay political organization. "This decision is an outstanding moral victory," Birch said after the court ruled 6-3 that the measure violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law. "And this triumph is especially important in light of the congressional gay-bashing, which has reached an all-time high in the last two weeks." Birch noted that this decision does not advance equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans. "It merely ensures that Colorado -- and every other state -- cannot pass laws to deny gay and lesbian Americans equal access to the democratic process," she said. "But it also makes clear that this Supreme Court will not permit any state to attempt to pass laws making its gay residents second-class citizens." Amendment 2 is the only statewide anti-gay ballot measure that has ever been passed by voters. In 1994, voters in Idaho and Oregon defeated anti-gay initiatives in the midst of the Republican sweep. And last year, voters in Maine rejected a similar effort. Public opinion polls continue to show that while most Americans support equal rights for gay people, the majority of Americans do not understand that no federal law protects lesbian and gay people from discrimination, Birch noted. Most people do not know that it is perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay in the 41 states that do not have civil rights protection based on sexual orientation. Birch pointed out that the same religious political organizations that were responsible for Amendment 2 and other similar measures are continuing their drive to deny equal rights to lesbian and gay Americans. "The religious political extremists have changed tactics," Birch said. "Instead of statewide anti-gay ballot initiatives like Amendment 2, they are pressing for bills in state legislatures and, most recently, in the U.S. Congress, that would outlaw same-sex marriage. What this new wave of hate demonstrates is that gay and lesbian Americans still have a long way to go toward winning equal rights." The members of Congress who are pushing legislation to outlaw same-sex marriage "should look at today's Supreme Court decision and think again about what they are doing," Birch said. "The highest court of the land has said that no state can make its gay and lesbian citizens unequal to everyone else' or a stranger to its laws.' This is all we have ever asked for." Amendment 2, approved in 1992 by 53 percent of Colorado voters, would have overturned local laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and prevented state and local governments from passing similar laws in the future. Colorado's Supreme Court struck down Amendment 2 in 1994 as unconstitutional, declaring that the measure denied supporters of equal rights for lesbian and gay people the basic right to participate in the democratic process. HRC was the largest single financial contributor to the legal challenge against Amendment 2. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. - 30 -