Republican, business, military briefs submitted to 10th Circuit
New York–(ENEWSPF)–March 4, 2014. Businesses, religious leaders and organizations, civil rights groups, military groups, family law experts, and prominent individuals, including approximately 20 Republican political leaders, today submitted friend-of-the-court briefs urging the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down marriage bans in Utah and Oklahoma. The two landmark cases in Utah and Oklahoma will be heard by the same three-judge panel in April.
Marc Solomon, national campaign director of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:
“The unstoppable wave of momentum across America today reached the Mountain West. The court briefs reflect the depth and bipartisan nature of marriage support in the region – including among conservatives in the region like former Sen. Alan Simpson. Leading voices stepped up to the plate today to stand for freedom, family, and individual liberty. Like most Americans, they believe marriage is strengthened and families are protected when same-sex couples are free to marry. All of America is ready to end discrimination and begin treating all loving couples equally under the law.”
Last year dozens of Republicans, including former governors and White House officials as well as current members of Congress, joined in a legal brief to the Supreme Court in the Perry case, arguing that the constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. Republican signers in today’s brief include former Senator Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming and former Senator Nancy L. Kassebaum of Kansas, who were not part of last year’s brief. A February poll by the New York Times/CBS News found that 40% of Republicans believe marriage for same-sex couples should be legal, up from 33% last May and only 24% in September 2012.
According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 51% and 58% of Americans in the Midwestern and Western parts of the United States respectively favor allowing gay couples to marry.
All amici briefs in the Utah case are due today.
Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.
Source: http://www.freedomtomarry.org
