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ACLU of Utah Files Friend-of-the-Court Brief in Support of Domestic Partner Benefits for Salt Lake City Employees (11/11/2005)
SALT LAKE CITY -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in support of a Salt Lake City executive order that extends health and other employment benefits to city employees’ same-sex and unmarried heterosexual domestic partners.

ACLU, NCLR, and Lambda Legal Urge California Appeals Court to Affirm Decision Ending Unfairness Against Same-Sex Couples in Marriage (11/09/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Lambda Legal are filing a brief before a California appeals court today urging the court to affirm a lower court decision saying it is unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the ability to marry.

ACLU and Lambda Legal Urge Federal Appeals Court to Uphold Ruling Striking Down Extreme Nebraska Law Banning All Protections for Same-Sex Couples (11/01/2005)
LINCOLN, NE -- Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a brief before a federal appeals court urging the court to let stand an earlier decision striking down Nebraska's extreme anti-gay relationship law that bans all protections for same-sex couples, including civil unions and domestic partnership.

Unanimous Alaska Supreme Court Says It Is Unconstitutional to Deny Equal Benefits to Lesbian and Gay State Employees (10/28/2005)
ANCHORAGE - In a unanimous decision today, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the state to continue to deny lesbian and gay state employees and retirees access to equal benefits for their domestic partners. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alaska, which brought the challenge, cheered the decision as an important victory for same-sex couples and their families.

ACLU Urges New York Appeals Court to Strike Down Law Barring Same-Sex Couples from Marriage Protections (10/17/2005)
ALBANY - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a New York appeals court to strike down a state law that bars same-sex couples from marriage and the hundreds of family protections afforded to married couples.

Proponents of Anti-Gay Initiative Concede It Would Ban Civil Unions and Domestic Partnership Laws (10/12/2005)
TALLAHASSEE -In a reply brief filed today with the Florida Supreme Court, legal groups representing six same-sex couples and the nationwide union of government employees note that the backers of the anti-gay relationship initiative concede that it would ban both marriage and civil unions. The brief also notes that Liberty Counsel, the legal group behind the initiative, has already tried to strip domestic partner health benefits from lesbian and gay employees of the City of Gainesville.

Michigan Marriage Amendment Does Not Reach the Workplace, Judge Rules (09/27/2005)
LANSING, MI -- In a victory for Michigan same-sex couples, a state judge ruled today that public employers are not prohibited from offering domestic partner benefits to employees. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan on behalf of 21 same-sex couples who were in danger of losing health care benefits after the state adopted a constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples in November 2004.

Six Same-Sex Couples File Challenge to a Florida Anti-Gay Initiative Threatening all Protections for Families of Same-Sex Couples (09/21/2005)
TALLAHASSEE - Six same-sex couples filed a challenge before the Florida Supreme Court today charging that the anti-gay voter initiative threatening protections for the families of same-sex couples violates the Florida Constitution.

ACLU of Massachusetts Praises Legislators for Voting Down Discriminatory Marriage Amendment (09/14/2005)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today applauded the Massachusetts state legislature for overwhelmingly voting down a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have codified discrimination against same-sex couples.

ACLU Sets Record Straight on Costs of Domestic Partner Benefits (07/14/2005)
MADISON, WI -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed legal papers today urging a Madison judge to exclude the state legislature from interfering in a lawsuit seeking domestic partner benefits for lesbian and gay employees of the state. The ACLU charges that the legislators behind the move are misrepresenting the costs of the benefits to disguise their real motives for aligning themselves with the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund.

California Supreme Court Clears the Way for Comprehensive Domestic Partnership Protections for Same-Sex Couples (06/29/2005)
SACRAMENTO -- The California Supreme Court today refused to hear an appeal in a case by anti-gay activists challenging the state's comprehensive domestic partnership protections for same-sex couples. The Court's order cleared the only remaining hurdle to the law, which became effective in January, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

ACLU Applauds Iowa Supreme Court for Allowing Lower Court to Dissolve Lesbian Couple's Civil Union (06/17/2005)
DES MOINES, IA -- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Iowa Supreme Court for not interfering with a lower court's ruling dissolving the civil union of a lesbian couple. The court ruled that a group of state legislators and others represented by the Alliance Defense Fund lacked standing to challenge the ruling.

ACLU Urges New York Appeals Court to End Unfairness Against Gay Couples in Marriage (05/19/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief today in a New York appeals court asking the court to strike down a New York law that bars lesbian and gay couples and their families from the protections of marriage. Religious leaders, civil rights advocates and women's groups also announced their support for marriage for same-sex couples through friend-of-the-court briefs filed this week.

ACLU Launches Marriage Campaign to Move Americans to Treat Families of Same-Sex Couples More Fairly (05/16/2005)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced plans to launch a national Marriage Campaign to persuade Americans that it is unfair to deny legal protections to the families of same-sex couples. The campaign will be led by Michael Mitchell, who comes to the ACLU after serving as the Executive Director of Equality Utah, that state's lesbian and gay advocacy organization.

Federal Court Strikes Down Nebraska's Anti-Gay-Union Law Banning Protections for Same-Sex Couples (05/12/2005)
LINCOLN, NE -- In a ruling issued today, a federal court struck down Nebraska's anti-gay-union constitutional amendment that bans any and all forms of legal recognition for same-sex relationships, including domestic partnerships and other basic protections. The state is expected to appeal the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

ACLU of Tennessee Files Lawsuit Challenging State Amendment Banning Marriages for Same-Sex Couples (04/21/2005)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit today challenging a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would ban same-sex couples from being able to marry in the state. The lawsuit charges that the state failed to meet notification requirements as outlined in the state constitution.

ACLU Seeks Health Insurance and Family Leave for Lesbian and Gay Wisconsin State Employees (04/20/2005)
MADISON, WI -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today against the state of Wisconsin on behalf of six lesbian employees and their partners seeking domestic partner health insurance and family leave protections.

ACLU and Basic Rights Oregon Undeterred After Oregon Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Issue of Fairness for Lesbian and Gay Couples (04/14/2005)
PORTLAND, OR -- The American Civil Liberties Union and Basic Rights Oregon today said they were disappointed but undeterred by the Oregon Supreme Court's decision to delay ruling on the underlying issue of fairness for same-sex couples in a lawsuit brought by the groups.