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Group formed to take down California’s Proposition 8 is shutting its doors
It is mission accomplished for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
Formed nearly six years ago to fight for marriage equality by such Hollywood heavy-hitters as Rob Reiner and Dustin Lance Black, AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer announced Monday (3 August) that the organization is closing down.
The announcement via Facebook comes less than six weeks after the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal across the US.
It’s also been more than two years since the high court allowed a federal court’s overturning of California’s Proposition 8 to stand in a case filed by AFER on behalf of two plaintiff couples. Later, AFER fought a case that led to marriage equality in Virginia.
‘We put equality on trial,’ Umhoefer writes. ‘For the first time ever, a federal court heard evidence as to why denying gay and lesbian Americans the right to marry is unconstitutional. And, more importantly, for the first time, we forced our opponents to make their best cases, under oath, as to why marriage bans based on fear and hatred should stand. And we shared that story with the world.
‘But, perhaps, most importantly, we drew a line in the sand.’
The California and Virginia cases had David Boies and Ted Olson teamed as lead counsel, two celebrated lawyers who had previously clashed at the Supreme Court in the case of Gore Vs. Bush in 2000. Boies fought unsuccessfully for Al Gore while Olson argued successfully for George W. Bush in a case that enabled him to become president of the US.
Umhoefer writes that although the marriage battle was won, the fight for LGBTI equality is not over.
‘Please remember we’re going to have to work harder than ever before to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans have full federal equality – nothing more, and nothing less.’
He points out that in 31 states, LGBTI people have very few clear, consistent legal protections against discrimination. They are still at risk of being fired, denied a job, evicted, bullied, harassed, refused service, or denied access to credit because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Umhoefer considers the Equality Act, introduced in the US Congress last week, to be ‘essential legislation’ that would guarantee critically needed protections in the workplace, housing, public accommodations, lending practices, education, jury service, and the use of federal funds.
‘While AFER may be closing its doors, we are dedicating all remaining resources to the ongoing battle for full equality,’ he writes. ‘It’s going to take all of us to reach the finish line.’
The post Group formed to take down California’s Proposition 8 is shutting its doors appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
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