Victory!

What a historic day! So many emotions, it's overwhelming. As you have surely heard by now, the Supreme Court announced decisions today in the Windsor (Section 3 of DOMA) and Perry (Prop 8) cases. The enormity of this moment is hard to wrap our arms around. Years and years of hearing that our relationships and families are lesser than others, but never giving up hope and never stopping out work to achieve equality suddenly changes as we watch the news and hear the words that our families and marriages will be recognized by the federal government. California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage act are HISTORY! 

The United States v Windsor case challenged Section 3 of DOMA, under which same-sex spouses were precluded from accessing over 1,100 federal rights and responsibilities. As a result of this unfair and discriminatory treatment, employers and employees have been adversely impacted with greater income and payroll tax liabilities, higher administrative costs, the inability to provide equal spousal benefits and exemptions around gift and estate taxes. With the 5-4 decision striking down Section 3, equal benefits will be recognized by the federal government where same-sex marriages are recognized by the state. However, as Section 2 was not challenged, there is still no right for same-sex couples to marry in the 37 states where marriage is not recognized by the state.

The Supreme Court also ruled that the appeal of Judge Vaughn Walker's landmark decision on California's Proposition 8 had no standing. This will soon result in the restoration of the freedom to marry in California.

GSBA was the first chamber to be asked to sign on to the business-specific friend-of-the-court briefs in both cases. We were proud to be asked to reach out to our membership and to the other chambers around the country to stand up and declare that equality is good business! More than one fifth of the businesses that signed on were GSBA members from the Puget Sound region - we have said it before, and we will say it again - we could not be more proud of the incredible advocacy work that you all have done!

There are some remaining questions about the impact on couples who get legally married in equality-minded states like Washington and then move somewhere with a state DOMA, and GSBA will continue to work with our partners around the country, particularly other LGBT chambers, to repeal these discriminatory laws until equality has been achieved, as has been our focus since our founding in 1981. But, for now, this is a day to celebrate!

Please join us at 5:00 this evening on the steps of the Federal Court at 5th and Madison (across from the Seattle Public Library) for a community celebration marking today's rulings.

Equality is good business. It was in 1981, and it still is in 2013.

Louise Chernin, GSBA President & CEO

BREAKING: Court declares Prop 8 unconstitutional!

It is a great day for equality!

Marriage equality is one step closer in Washington State and today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has just upheld the historic 2010 ruling finding Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Same-sex couples in California are one step closer to marriage equality!

The Court stayed today’s decision, so same-sex couples in California will still have to wait before they can once again exercise their right to marry. And the ruling is likely to be appealed. Still, this is an enormous step toward marriage equality, not only for California, but for all Americans.

As close as we are to achieving marriage equality, we must be more vigilant than ever. Continue the conversation with friends, colleagues and family, have your business endorse marriage equality and donate to Washington United ForMarriage.

For equality,

Louise Chernin, President & CEO

Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)

Charlene Strong's Statement - Prop 8 Ruling

Today’s Prop 8 Ruling Goes Beyond California’s Borders

Seattle LGBT Advocate Charlene Strong Sees First Step to Overturning DOMA

Human Rights are not Special Rights

SEATTLE - August 4, 2010 - Today a federal court ruled that California’s Proposition 8, the voter-approved initiative which banned same-sex marriage in the state last November, unconstitutional under both the due process and equal protection clauses. This decision is critical as its ramifications could reach beyond California’s borders to challenge the federal ban on same-sex marriage known as the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Charlene Strong, a Washington State Human Rights Commissioner whose personal story of courage in the face of inequality helped to pass landmark domestic partnership legislation, is working hard to see that DOMA is overturned. She sees today’s ruling as an important first step in that process.

Laws barring full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are the last examples of state sponsored discrimination in the United States. Without full equality at the federal level, LGBT people will continue to be second class citizens, unable to fully participate in all of the rights, responsibilities and benefits of United States citizenship.

“Today’s ruling is very good news. LGBT rights are not special rights. These are human rights,” Charlene Strong says. “Anyone who says otherwise, that all citizens are not entitled full equality in our country is speaking from their own personal bias and nothing more. This has nothing to do with sexuality and everything to do with who you love.”

There is a patchwork quilt of same-sex marriage protections in the states. But whether protections are termed “marriage,” “domestic partnerships” or “civil unions,” all of these rights stop at the state border. “There are no protections for LGBT people at the federal level. That is over 1,138 rights we don’t have that are available to opposite sex couples,” Charlene reiterates. These rights include social security survivor benefits, tax incentives for married couples, the ability to transfer property and more.

“I look forward to working with Equal Rights Washington to empower people across the state to talk to their friends and family about the importance of marriage equality and the lives of gay and lesbian families,” Strong relates.

"I am an American and I am proud of that. I am not fighting for my rights alone -- I am standing up and fighting for every gay and lesbian couple who pay their taxes, contribute to society and who want the same protections every other American is afforded if and when they choose to marry."

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Links:

Charlene Strong Op-Ed, Seattle Times, July 26: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012455623_guest27strong.html.

FOR MY WIFE (Trick Dog Films, 2007) -- An award-winning feature documentary film capturing her transformation into an activist for equality and her successful campaign to see domestic partnership legislation in Washington state. FOR MY WIFE will be released on DVD on August 31 (Cinema Libre): www.formywife.info.

Find out about Equal Rights Washington: www.equalrightswashington.org

About Charlene Strong

Charlene Strong lost her wife, Kate Fleming when flood waters invaded their Seattle home in 2006. Initially prevented from seeing Kate on her deathbed and unable to make the most rudimentary of arrangements on Kate’s behalf, Charlene has become a tireless advocate for marriage equality and equal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families. Her testimony one month after Kate's death was instrumental in the 2007 passage of landmark domestic partnership legislation in Washington state and her story was captured in the award-winning feature documentary FOR MY WIFE (2007, Trick Dog Films). Soon after, Charlene was appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire to the Washington State Human Rights Commission. In 2009, Charlene's strong voice was vital to the historic passage of Washington state’s Referendum 71 affirming for the first time by popular vote LGBT partner rights. Taking the fight for equality beyond Washington’s borders, Charlene's story and courage have made her a nationally recognized activist.