No. 16-992 ================================================================ In The Supreme Court of the United States --------------------------------- --------------------------------- MARISA N. PAVAN, ET AL., Petitioners, v. NATHANIEL SMITH, M.D., MPH, Respondent. --------------------------------- --------------------------------- On Petition For A Writ Of Certiorari To The Arkansas Supreme Court --------------------------------- --------------------------------- MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL AND COLAGE IN SUPPORT OF PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI AND BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PETITION --------------------------------- --------------------------------- WILLIAM J. HIBSHER KATHERINE KEATING ELIZABETH GOLDBERG Counsel of Record BRYAN CAVE LLP ALEXANDRA WHITWORTH 1290 Avenue of the Americas KATHERINE GREEN New York, NY 10104-3300 BRYAN CAVE LLP Three Embarcadero Center, EMILY HECHT-MCGOWAN 7th Floor FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL San Francisco, CA 94111-4070 475 Park Avenue South Tel. 415.268.1972 Suite 21 Katherine.Keating@ New York, NY 10016-6901 bryancave.com Counsel for Amici Curiae Family Equality Council and COLAGE ================================================================ COCKLE LEGAL BRIEFS (800) 225-6964 WWW.COCKLELEGALBRIEFS.COM 1 MOTION OF AMICI CURIAE FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL AND COLAGE FOR LEAVE TO FILE BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS Amici Curiae Family Equality Council and COLAGE respectfully move for leave of Court to file the accompanying brief under Supreme Court Rule 37.3(b). Amici timely notified counsel of record for all parties more than ten days prior to the date of filing that Amici intended to file the brief and sought the par- ties’ consent to the filing. Counsel for Petitioner pro- vided consent and proof of the same has been lodged with the Clerk of the Court. Counsel for Respondent has not provided consent. In this brief, Family Equality Council and COLAGE seek to provide insight into the concerns and experiences of children raised by same-sex couples who have been affected by unequal treatment of their fam- ilies and, in particular, by the unavailability of birth certificates that name both of their parents. Family Equality Council, a non-profit organization, is well suited to provide this important perspective through its work supporting and representing this country’s millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer parents and their children. Through Family Equality Council’s Outspoken Generation program, children of same-sex couples and LGBT parents speak out about their families, share their stories, and be- come advocates for family equality. COLAGE is the only national organization for and led by people with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parent. 2 Based on its direct experience working with thousands of youth over the past 26 years, COLAGE can attest to the critical importance of recognizing and respecting these families on all levels: socially, institutionally, po- litically, and legally. The accompanying brief of Family Equality Coun- cil and COLAGE shares the stories, worries, and views of individuals uniquely impacted by the issues before the Court: children of same-sex couples. Their per- spective underscores the real-life impact of the Arkan- sas decision and the myriad practical, dignitary, and emotional harms that flow from permitting different birth certificate regimes for married couples depend- ing on whether the spouses are of the same or different sexes. Family Equality Council and COLAGE therefore request leave to file the accompanying brief of Amici Curiae in support of the petition for a writ of certiorari. Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM J. HIBSHER KATHERINE KEATING ELIZABETH GOLDBERG Counsel of Record BRYAN CAVE LLP ALEXANDRA WHITWORTH 1290 Avenue of the Americas KATHERINE GREEN New York, NY 10104-3300 BRYAN CAVE LLP Three Embarcadero Center, EMILY HECHT-MCGOWAN 7th Floor FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL San Francisco, CA 94111-4070 475 Park Avenue South Tel. 415.268.1972 Suite 21 Katherine.Keating@ New York, NY 10016-6901 bryancave.com Counsel for Amici Curiae Family Equality Council and COLAGE i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................... i TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................. ii INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE ......................... 1 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .............................. 2 ARGUMENT ........................................................ 4 I. CHILDREN OF SAME-SEX PARENTS NEED BIRTH CERTIFICATES THAT LIST BOTH PARENTS FOR THE SAME REA- SONS OTHER CHILDREN DO ................... 4 II. AS THE COURT RECOGNIZED IN WINDSOR AND OBERGEFELL, TREAT- ING FAMILIES DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY ARE HEADED BY SAME-SEX PARENTS HARMS CHILDREN ............... 11 CONCLUSION ..................................................... 17 ii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page CASES Henry v. Himes, 14 F. Supp. 3d 1036 (S.D. Ohio), rev’d sub nom., Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015) .......................................................... 5, 10 Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015) ...... passim In re Rodriguez, No. F508002, 2006 WL 2303317 (Ark. Work. Comp. Comm’n July 10, 2006) .............. 9 Smith v. Pavan, 505 S.W.3d 169 (Ark. Sup. Ct. 2016) .......................................................................... 3 United States v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675 (2013) ... 11, 12 STATUTES Ark. Code § 9-10-201(a) ................................................ 3 Ark. Code § 20-18-305 .................................................. 5 Ark. Code § 20-18-401(f )(1) ...................................... 2, 3 Ark. Code § 20-18-406(a)(1) .......................................... 3 Ark. Code § 24-12-117(b) .............................................. 9 La. Rev. Stat. § 17:167 .................................................. 6 Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3313.672(A)(1) ......................... 6 REGULATIONS 20 C.F.R. 401.45(b)(6) ................................................... 8 22 C.F.R. 51.28 .............................................................. 9 29 C.F.R. 825.122(k) ...................................................... 8 iii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES – Continued Page 31 C.F.R. 1.34 ................................................................ 8 45 C.F.R. 5b.5(b)(2)(iii) .................................................. 8 Ark. Code R. § 005.15.2-11.02 ...................................... 6 Ark. Code R. § 007.12.1-5.5(a) ...................................... 3 Ark. Code R. § 208.00.1-2212 ....................................... 9 OTHER AUTHORITIES Ark. Dep’t Health, ADH: Vital Records/Statistics, available at http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/ programsServices/certificatesVitalRecords/Pages/ default.aspx ............................................................... 5 Bryant Pub. Schools Student Handbook 14, available at http://bryantschools.org/system/files/ documents/570/Elementary%20Handbook%20 2016-17.pdf ................................................................ 6 Children Under 16, U.S. Department of State, available at http://travel.state.gov/content/ passports/en/passports/under-16.html ..................... 9 Elliott Emfinger, “I Helped My Moms (Finally) Get Married!” SEVENTEEN (June/July 2015), available at http://www.seventeen.com/life/ real-girl-stories/a31943/i-helped-my-moms- finally-get-married/ ............................................... 5, 6 Information You Need To Apply for Child’s Ben- efits – Form SSA-4, Social Security Admin- istration, available at https://www.ssa.gov/ forms/ssa-4.html........................................................ 8 iv TABLE OF AUTHORITIES – Continued Page LBGT Travel Information, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, available at https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/students- abroad/pdfs/LGBTIflyer.pdf ...................................... 9 Minor Children Traveling To Canada, Govern- ment of Canada, available at http://www.cic. gc.ca/english/visit/minors.asp ................................... 9 Statement from Elliott Emfinger to Family Equality Council (Nov. 3, 2015) ............................ 5, 6 Statement from Anna Frackman to Family Equality Council (Feb. 24, 2017)........... 10, 11, 13, 17 Statement from Molly Goren-Watts to Family Equality Council (Feb. 28, 2017)....................... 14, 15 Statement from Anthony Hynes to Family Equality Council (Nov. 2, 2015) ........................ 11, 14 Statement from Spencer Lucker to Family Equality Council (Feb. 24, 2017)........... 12, 13, 16, 17 Statement from J.M. to Family Equality Council (Feb. 24, 2017) ......................................................... 13 Statement from Kinsey Morrison to Family Equality Council (Feb. 27, 2015)............................... 7 Statement from Kinsey Morrison to Family Equality Council (Feb. 23, 2017)........................... 4, 7 Statement from Cari S. to Family Equality Council (Nov. 3, 2015) ............................................... 8 v TABLE OF AUTHORITIES – Continued Page Statement from K.S. to Family Equality Council (Nov. 2, 2015) ............................................................. 8 Survivors Benefits, Social Security Administra- tion, available at https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10084.pdf ....................................................... 8 1 INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE1 Amici Curiae are organizations dedicated to pro- moting equality among our country’s diverse families, in particular those comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender