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On March 5th California is scheduled to hear arguments disputing Prop 8. Whether or not you've got your Gay membership card like I do, overturning Prop 8 is the right thing to do. The thing is, it isn't just about same-sex marriage. So, for those of you who think this is a LGBTQA issue and for those of you who don't believe in the institute of marriage, the prop 8 precedent is an eerie and frightening precedent. Ever seen or read 1984? Think I'm crazy? I'm not.
The very thought that a precedent would be set to vote on the rights of others is scary at best.
Read more about it at the ACLU

From a Lambda Legal email I received:

In every corner of this country, fairness matters. Attacks on equality that ignore the rules cannot be permitted to go unanswered anywhere.

...

Quick Facts:
March 5: California Supreme Court to hear arguments in Strauss v. Horton
$11.2 million: Amount of out-of-state funds raised in support of Prop. 8
$120 million: Estimated annual revenue of antigay ADF and partners (10 time our budget)
Ken Starr: Former Independant Counsel and judge, arguing for the preservation of Prop. 8
Whether or not you believe California is a trendsetter for the rest of the country, there should be little doubt that the battle over Prop. 8 is a game-changer for this civil rights movement — no matter what happens.

Last week the California Supreme Court announced that on March 5 it will hear oral arguments in Strauss v. Horton — the legal challenge to Prop. 8 brought by Lambda Legal, the ACLU and NCLR.

For us the argument and why it matters for everyone is clear:

Nullifying the equality guarantee — a central constitutional principle that secures our form of government — is a dangerous precedent that threatens each of us. We believe California’s Constitution does not allow that change by a simple majority vote; we sued to enforce that state’s elections law.

In every corner of this country, fairness matters. Attacks on equality that ignore the rules cannot be permitted to go unanswered anywhere.

Help us be prepared to respond — on March 5 in California and all year throughout the country:Make a special gift today!

Our opponents, represented this time by Ken Starr, will use every avenue they can to further their antigay agenda. If they lose with an argument, they'll just try it again and again in other courts (we’ve faced —and defeated — the Alliance Defense Fund four times in New York courts over the same basic issue). If they lose in the courts, they try to change the rules. If basic constitutional guarantees get in the way, they’ll attempt an end run around them.

They have money (the ADF and its partners have an estimated annual revenue of more than $120 million) and they have a plan...

They’re testing the system and building their base. Trying to establish precedent and saturate society with their talking points. They know it’s not just about California.

Fight for equality nationwide: Make a special gift today!

Don’t let antigay groups like the ADF and the Eagle Forum or right wing “culture warriors” like Ken Starr get away with shredding the constitutional rulebook — because it’s a gambit they’ll deploy everywhere.

Stand up and stop them: Make a special gift today!

In the coming weeks you’ll hear much more from Lambda Legal and our partners, as we get closer to the argument — including information about a special members only conference call after the March 5 argument. Don't miss the call: Join Lambda Legal today!

With warm regards,

Kevin Cathcart

Executive Director

P.S. Don’t forget to sign our Voices for Equality pledge when you make your gift. Since November we’ve been gathering and displaying names on our online wall. Add your name: Make a special gift today!