We Stand on the Side of Equality

Next week, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears two cases concerning same-sex marriage, thousands will gather outside the Court steps to show their support for marriage equality.  As a coalition partner of United for Marriage, the organization coordinating this effort, and as a member of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, NCLR will proudly stand with our supporters and numerous other organizations to let the Supreme Court justices know we believe in fairness and justice under the law.

The two cases being heard Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, are Hollingsworth v. Perry (regarding Proposition 8) and United States v. Windsor (regarding DOMA).  Earlier this month, we signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief urging the justices to overturn both DOMA and Proposition 8.  The two cases mark a pivotal moment in the struggle for equality as public support for same-sex marriage has hit a new high.  Indeed, a 2012 study commissioned by NCLR and the Arcus Foundation also found that one-half of Latinos believe in marriage equality.  It is clear America is ready for this.  We’ve been down a similar road as a country before.  It wasn’t so long ago that the Supreme Court was faced with deciding on the freedom to marry for interracial couples.  In the Loving v. Virginia case, the justices stood for the rights of biracial couples to be married.  The Court understood then the deep injustices perpetrated against couples in committed, loving relationships.  We hope that they will once again rule in favor of fairness and recognize that equal protection in marriage is not a privilege but a fundamental right that is withheld from millions of LGBT Americans.

Help us amplify this message in Washington, DC!  Join us Tuesday, March 26 for this historic event.  The rally starts outside the Supreme Court at 8:30 a.m. EDT.  For the full schedule of events, transportation, and places to stay in Washington, please log in to the United for Marriage information page.  If you can’t make it to Washington, there are events happening all over the country in solidarity.  We’ll also be tweeting the day’s events so you can join the conversation online.  Just follow #United4Amor on Twitter.

Check out the list of speakers below, which includes our President and CEO, Janet Murguía, and be sure to join in. We’ll see you there!