Politics & Government

UPDATE: Gay Marriage Equality Rally Postponed

Rallyers are now waiting to see if a decision to hear the case on Prop. 8 - which bans same-sex marriage - could be announced this Friday or next Monday.

UPDATE, MONDAY, 8:31 A.M.: 

The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) made an announcement Monday morning about cases they will grant hearings to in the near future, but no same-sex marriage cases were on the list.

"A decision on a new rally date is forthcoming," said Steve Epstein, acting chair of the Mid Peninsula Chapter of Marriage Equality USA. "I will be consulting with the experts within the marriage equality movement to decide the new date for our rally. As soon as it is decided, [we will let everyone] know."

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The Court will be meeting to discuss future cases to hear again this Friday, Dec. 7 and again on Monday, Dec. 10.

According to Adam Umhoefer, Executive Director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, "With five cases currently before them dealing with issues related to marriage for gay and lesbian Americans, there is no doubt the Justices have much to consider."

Umhoefer said he "remains optimistic that the Justices will soon act in our case, either agreeing to hear our arguments or allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry in California, but we must also be prepared to stay vigilant into the New Year for a final determination from the Court." 

Find out what's happening in Burlingame-Hillsboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch will continue to follow this story.

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Members of the Mid Peninsula Chapter of Marriage Equality USA, along with several state and local leaders, have announced they will hold a rally at noon in Redwood City on whichever day if the U.S Supreme Court decides not to hear the current Proposition 8 case, which outlaws same-sex marriage.

The Court is currently considering whether to hear the Prop. 8 case.  As soon as Monday, members of the Court could announce that they have decided not to hear the case.  

"If that happens, marriage equality will be the law in California, and same-sex marriages will resume soon after," said members of the Peninsula group in a statement. "If this is their decision, the Court will make an announcement at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on a weekday."

Many community leaders will speak at the rally, including members of the local clergy and public officeholders, including:

  • San Mateo County Supervisors Dave Pine and Don Horsley, and the staff of Supervisor Carole Groom
  • Senator Leland Yee’s District Director, Dan Lieberman
  • Rev. Terri Echelbarger, Senior Minister of the Peninsula Metropolitan Community Church
  • Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern, Parish Minister at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Palo Alto
  • Sara Matlin, chair of the ACLU-North Peninsula Chapter
  • Marshall Dinowitz, board member of the ACLU-North Peninsula
  • Ken Klucsor, president of San Jose/Peninsula PFLAG (Parents, Friends & Family of Lesbians and Gays)
  • Entertainment by the Raging Grannies

The Redwood City rally will be held on the patio outside the County Clerk's office, at 555 County Center. This event will coincide with many other rallies to be held statewide. 

The members of the Court could also decide to hear the case, which would mean they will have until June of 2013 to make a final decision on Proposition 8.  

 


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