CA Supreme Court Refuses to Delay Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

The New York Times reported that the California Supreme Court refused to stay its decision on allowing same-sex marriage. The AAA wrote a letter to the judges urging them to enact their ruling on June 16th as scheduled. San Francisco’s mayor applauded the ruling and told reporters that the city’s goal is to “marry as many as 5,000 [same-sex] couples by the November election.” Anthropological research indicates that a vast array of family types, including same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and human societies. We hope the court’s ruling will allow voters to see that the institution of marriage can accommodate a diverse number of relationships, and that Californians will vote to protect the right of all individuals to enter marriage.

Links:
Court won't delay same-sex marriages (NYTimes)
AAA Statement on Marriage and the Family
AAA Letter to CA Supreme Court [pdf]
Gay marriage ban qualifies for California ballot (AP)
Same-sex marriage ruling makes waves (Washington Post)

AAA Writes to CA Supreme Court

In a letter sent to the California Supreme Court last week, the AAA urged the Justices to reject the efforts of same-sex marriage opponents to pass a motion for a stay on the Court's ruling regarding same-sex marriage. Opponents of the ruling are attempting to delay the enactment of the Court's decision until the November ballot.

Anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families—across cultures and through time—provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social order depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Instead, research has shown that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies. The enactment of the Court's ruling will grant voters an opportunity to see that the institution of marriage can accommodate all types of relationships, and will give same-sex couples the rights that they have been denied over the years.

The limitation of same-sex marriage to heterosexual couples is both discriminatory and harmful. Inequalities between marriage and domestic partnerships include different requirements for the formation and dissolution of domestic partnerships and marriages; the ability to receive equal rights and benefits from other states, countries, and the federal government; and disparate treatment by California courts. The creation of a separate legally-sanctioned institution for same-sex couples stigmatizes these relationships as unworthy of equal status.

As a professional organization that recognizes and values human diversity, AAA seeks to prevent human difference as a criteria for the denial of basic human rights. We are committed to promoting marriage equality for same-sex couples, and urge the Court to enact their ruling without delay.

Links:
AAA Statement on Marriage and the Family
Same Sex Marriage Ruling Makes Waves (Washington Post)

California Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage

In September of 2007 the AAA signed onto an amicus brief in support of San Francisco’s petition to strike down California’s ban on same-sex marriage. We are pleased to announce that the California Supreme Court overturned this ban in a 4-3 ruling. The court wrote, “Our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individuals’ sexual orientation.” Anthropologists have shown that a vast array of family types, including same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies, and the association continues to advocate for human rights issues where people are denied their capacity for culture.

Links:
AAA Statement on Marriage and the Family
AAA Press Release on Amicus Brief

NY Times Article
SF Chronicle Article