No. S147999 (Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding No. 4365) ____________________________________________________________ IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ____________________________________________________________ IN RE MARRIAGE CASES. ____________________________________________________________ ON APPEAL from the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three Nos. A110449, A110450, A110451, A110463, A110651, A110652 San Francisco Superior Court Nos. JCCP4365, 429539, 429548, 504038 Los Angeles Superior Court No. BS088506 Hon. Richard A. Kramer, Judge ____________________________________________________________ BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE EQUALITY FEDERATION and GAY AND LESBIAN ADVOCATES & DEFENDERS IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS (Including Application for Leave to File) ____________________________________________________________ James V. Weixel, Jr. (Bar No. 166024) Susan M. Popik (Bar No. 67173) WEIXEL LAW OFFICE Merri A. Baldwin (Bar No. 141957) 2370 Market Street ● No. 133 CHAPMAN , POPIK & WHITE LLP San Francisco, California 94114 650 California Street, 19th Floor Tel (415) 682-9785 • Fax (866) 640-3918 San Francisco, California 94108 Tel (415) 352-3000 • Fax (415) 352-3030 Of counsel: Mary L. Bonauto Bennett H. Klein Janson Wu GAY AND LESBIAN ADVOCATES & DEFENDERS 30 Winter Street, Suite 800 Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Tel (617) 426-1350 • Fax (617) 426-3594 Attorneys for Amici Curiae EQUALITY FEDERATION and GAY AND LESBIAN ADVOCATES & DEFENDERS TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.........................................................................ii APPLICATION FOR LEAVE TO FILE AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF AND STATEMENT OF INTEREST ............................................. 1 I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 3 II. ARGUMENT........................................................................................... 6 A. A RULING FROM THIS COURT ENDING THE EXCLUSION OF SAME-SEX COUPLES FROM MARRIAGE WILL ADVANCE PROGRESS TOWARD EQUALITY ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY............................................................................................ 6 1. Today, Civil Unions Are A Position Of Compromise As A Result Of The Remarkable Advances In The Fair Treatment Of Lesbian And Gay Couples Under Law............................................ 6 2. Progress Toward The Fair Treatment of Lesbian And Gay Couples Accelerated After Goodridge ........................................ 12 B. THE ASPIRATION OF LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES TO ERADICATE THE DISCRIMINATORY EXCLUSION FROM MARRIAGE WOULD BE DRAMATICALLY UNDERCUT BY A DECISION FROM THIS COURT RULING THAT A SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL STATUS CAN STAND UNDER THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION ...................................................... 18 1. This Court Should Not Acquiesce To Official Separation Of Citizens Based On Sexual Orientation ............................................... 18 2. California Is A Bellwether For The Nation........................................ 20 III. CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 23 CERTIFICATE OF COUNSEL RE WORD COUNT................................ 24 PROOF OF SERVICE ................................................................................ 25 i TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Adoption of M.A. (Me. 2007) 2007 ME 123, ___ A.2d ___, 2007 WL 2446019.......................................................................................8 Adoption of Tammy (1993) 416 Mass. 205, 619 N.E.2d 315........................8 Adoptions of B.L.V.B. & E.L.V.B. (1993) 160 Vt. 368, 628 A.2d 1271........8 Baehr v. Lewin (1993) 74 Haw. 530, 852 P.2d 44 ....................................4, 7 Baehr v. Miike (Haw. Cir. Dec. 3, 1996) 1996 WL 694235 .........................7 Baker v. Vermont (1999) 170 Vt. 194, 744 A.2d 864 .......................... passim Godfrey v. Spano (N.Y. Sup. 2007) 15 Misc. 3d 809, 836 N.Y.S.2d 813 ......................................................................................14 Goodridge v. Dep’t of Public Health (2003) 440 Mass. 309, 798 N.E.2d 941................................................................................... passim Holden v. N.J. Dep't of Hum. Servs. (N.J.Super. Ch. Div. 1997) No. C-203-97...............................................................................................8 In re Adoption of R.B.F. (2002) 569 Pa. 269, 803 A.2d 1195.......................8 In re Infant Girl W. (Ind.App. 2006) 845 N.E.2d 229 ..................................8 In re Jacob & In re Dana (1995) 86 N.Y.2d 651, 660 N.E.2d 397, 636 N.Y.S.2d 716.............................................................8 In re M.M.D. & B.H.M. (D.C.App. 1995) 662 A.2d 837..............................8 In re Petition of K.M. & D.M. (1995) 274 Ill.App.3d 189, 653 N.E.2d 888............................................................................................8 Kerrigan v. Dep’t of Public Health (Conn.) No. 17716................................2 Lesbian and Gay Equality Project v. Minister of Home Affairs (Const. Court of S. Africa 2005) [2005] ZACC 20.....................................5 ii Loving v. Virginia (1967) 388 U.S. 1..........................................................22 Olmstead v. United States (1928) 277 U.S. 438..........................................22 Perez v. Sharp (1948) 32 Cal. 2d 711 ...............................................9, 21, 22 Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) 163 U.S. 537...........................................3, 18, 19 Reference re Same-Sex Marriage [2004] SCC 79.........................................5 Romer v. Evans (1996) 517 U.S. 620............................................................3 Sharon S. v. Superior Court (2003) 31 Cal.4th 417......................................8 Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976) 17 Cal.3d 425.............................................................................................21 Statutes “An Act Relating to Protecting Individuals in Domestic Partnerships,” Subst. Sen. Bill No. 5336 (60 th Leg., 2007-2008 Reg. Sess.) (Wash.) .....13 1 U.S.C. § 7 .................................................................................................11 28 U.S.C. § 1738C.......................................................................................11 775 Ill. Comp. Stat., 5/1-102 .......................................................................16 Assem. Bill No. 3787 (Dec. 14, 2006, 2006-2007 Reg. Sess.) 18 Leg. Digest 45 (N.J.) ............................................................................13 Civil Code, art. 143, as amended by Law of 13 February 2003 (Belgium)............................................................................................5 Civil Code , art. 30, as amended by Act of 21 December 2000 (Netherlands) ......................................................................................5 Civil Code , art. 44, as amended by Law 13/2005 of 1 July 2005 (Spain) ................................................................................................5 Civil Marriage Act, Bill C-38 (July 20, 2005) (Canada) ..............................5 iii Civil Union Act (Act 17 of 2006) (South Africa)..........................................5 Conn. Gen. Stat., § 46A-81C.......................................................................16 Conn. Gen. Stat., §§ 46b-38nn ....................................................................13 D.C. Code, § 2-1402.11...............................................................................16 Defense of Marriage Act, Pub.L. No. 104-199, 110 Stat. 2419 (Sept. 21, 1996) .........................................................................................11 Fam. Code, § 297.........................................................................................13 Gov. Code, § 12920.....................................................................................16 Haw. Rev. Stat., § 378-2..............................................................................16 Haw. Rev. Stat., § 572C-1 to C-7................................................................12 Iowa Sen. File No. 427 (82 nd Gen. Assem., 2007 1 st Reg. Sess.)................16 Mass. Gen. Laws, ch.151B, § 4...................................................................16 Md. Code Ann., art. 49B, § 16 ....................................................................16 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann., tit. 5, § 4572...............................................................16 Me. Rev. Stat. Ann., tit. 22, §2710..............................................................13 Minn. Stat., §363A.08 .................................................................................16 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann., § 354-A:7 .................................................................16 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann., § 457-A:1 et seq. ......................................................13 N.J. Stat. Ann., § 10:5-12 ............................................................................16 N.J. Stat. Ann., § 37:1-28 ............................................................................13 N.M. Stat., § 28-1-7.....................................................................................16 Nev. Rev. Stat., § 613.330...........................................................................16 iv Oregon Family Fairness Act, House Bill No. 2007 (74 th Leg., 2007 Reg. Sess.)...........................................................13,