EJS President Eva Paterson will join other civl rights and religious leaders and plaintiff couples from In re Marriage Cases in a roundtable to reflect on the historic California Supreme Court ruling and the pending Prop. 8 legal challenge. This discussion takes place on the fifth anniversary of San Francisco’s first issuance of marriage licenses.
The original plaintiffs, including Phyllis Lyon, the first to be married in San Francisco in 2004 and again on June 16, 2008, will make short statements about the personal significance of the ruling. Civil rights and religious leaders will discuss their role as amici in the Prop 8 legal challenge.
The roundtable takes place on Friday, February 13, from 10:30 a.m. at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, 870 Market Street, Suite 370, San Francisco.
In addition to Eva, the roundtable will include the following speakers:
– Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
– Geoff Kors, Executive Director, Equality California
– Phyllis Lyon, surviving spouse of Del Martin, Petitioner, In re Marriage Cases
– Jewelle Gomez and Diane Sabin, Petitioners, In re Marriage Cases
– Jeanne Rizzo and Pali Cooper, Petitioners, In re Marriage Cases
– Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, Petitioners, In re Marriage Cases
– Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director, California Council of Churches, Prop 8 legal challenge amici
EJS has been active in opposing Prop. 8 and in the legal challenges following the Nov. 2008 vote on the proposition, most recently last month when we joined other civil rights groups in filing an amicus brief with the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8 because it would mandate discrimination against a minority group and did not follow the process required for fundamental revisions to the California Constitution.