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ACLU Applauds House Stand Against Discriminatory Marriage Amendment; Calls Vote a Victory for All American Families (09/30/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the House of Representatives for rejecting the Federal Marriage Amendment, calling the vote a victory for all American families. The Senate had defeated the proposal, which would have written discrimination into the Constitution, earlier this year.

ACLU Launches Online Toolkit for Activists Fighting for Marriage for Same-Sex Couples (09/27/2004)
NEW YORK - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union launched Fighting For Marriage, an online resource designed to give local activists the tools to defeat proposals that would amend state constitutions so that same-sex couples could never be legally recognized. The toolkit, available at www.aclu.org/getequal, provides practical advice and resources designed to make the case for, and counter arguments against, marriage equality.

Georgia Leaders and Voters File Lawsuit Saying Marriage Amendment is Deceptive and Unconstitutional (09/16/2004)
ATLANTA--A lawsuit filed today in the Superior Court of Fulton County asks that an amendment dealing with marriage rights for same-sex couples be taken off of Georgia's November ballot. The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of a diverse range of Georgia voters and leaders by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP, charges that the ballot language is affirmatively deceptive and unconstitutional.

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging California Domestic Partnership Law that Offers Protections for Same-Sex Couples (09/09/2004)
SACRAMENTO- A Superior Court judge here has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block legal protections for same-sex couples that are to go into effect in January 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today.

ACLU Says Even Attorneys Who Support Arkansas' So-Called "Marriage" Amendment Don't Understand What It Means (08/27/2004)
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Even the attorneys representing the group responsible for getting a proposed amendment to the Arkansas Constitution on the November ballot disagree on the meaning of the amendment, charged the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which filed legal papers yesterday in the Arkansas Supreme Court saying the measure should be stricken from the ballot because it is vague and misleading, and too hard for voters to understand.

ACLU Files Challenge to Misleading Arkansas "Marriage" Ballot Initiative (08/26/2004)
LITTLE ROCK, AR--The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas today filed a legal challenge on behalf of three concerned citizens against the so-called ""Amendment Concerning Marriage,"" charging that the ballot initiative violates the Arkansas state constitution. The ACLU said the ballot's title and text is misleading to voters and, if passed, could potentially make significant changes to the legal landscape for single Arkansans.

ACLU and GLAD File Lawsuit to End Connecticut's Exclusion of Lesbian and Gay Couples from Marriage Rights (08/25/2004)
HARTFORD -- Seven gay and lesbian couples from across Connecticut who were recently denied marriage licenses filed a lawsuit today in New Haven Superior Court challenging the state's discriminatory denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Social Workers Come Out in Support of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples (08/16/2004)
NEW YORK - The National Association of Social Workers filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in support of the American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit seeking marriage for same-sex couples in New York.

California Supreme Court Invalidates Marriages from San Francisco, Without Resolving Whether Same-Sex Couples Have the Right to Marry (08/12/2004)
SAN FRANCISCO - Today the California Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom did not have the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and declared the licenses issued to thousands of same-sex couples invalid. The ruling does not address whether same-sex couples must be allowed to marry under the California Constitution. That issue is being litigated in a separate lawsuit brought by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU. Legal briefs are being filed in that lawsuit in the next few weeks, and the case is expected to move quickly in state court.

ACLU Says Anti-Gay House Court Stripping Bill Unconstitutional, But Vote Indicates Federal Marriage Amendment Can't Pass House (07/22/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its disappointment with the House's passage of a controversial and discriminatory court stripping measure, but heralded the number of "no" votes as a good predictor of the futility of bringing an anti-gay constitutional amendment to the House floor. The legislation seeks to forever slam shut federal courthouse doors to gay and lesbian couples challenging an anti-gay federal marriage law.

ACLU Calls Discriminatory House Court Stripping Bill Unconstitutional, Measure Would Deny Gay and Lesbian Couples Their "Day in Court" (07/21/2004)
WASHINGTON - One week after the Senate rejected the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to reject a controversial court stripping measure. That legislation, scheduled for a vote tomorrow, would forever slam shut federal courthouse doors to gay and lesbian couples challenging an anti-gay federal marriage law.

ACLU Applauds Demise of Discriminatory Marriage Amendment; Calls Vote a Victory for All American Families (07/14/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the apparent demise of the Federal Marriage Amendment as a victory for all American families. The proposal, which would have codified discrimination into the Constitution, had circumvented the normal legislative process of careful deliberation and examination and failed to receive even enough votes in the Senate to end debate.

ACLU Criticizes House Committee for Voting to Violate The Constitution On Same Day that Senate Votes Against Amending Founding Charter (07/14/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment with a House attempt to legislate discrimination through a court stripping measure. Recognizing that they lack the votes to pass the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment, House leadership is now focusing on slamming shut federal courthouse doors to gay and lesbian couples.

ACLU Says Election-Year Politics Push Discriminatory Measure, Imminent Senate Vote on Marriage Amendment Likely to Fail By Wide Margin (07/13/2004)
WASHINGTON - With a vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment expected this week, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on the Senate to reject attempts to write discrimination into the Constitution. The amendment, which is expected to fail by a wide margin, is being pushed onto the Senate floor even though it has circumvented the normal legislative process of careful deliberation and examination.

ACLU Files Lawsuit Seeking Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in Maryland (07/07/2004)
BALTIMORE - The American Civil Liberties Union today sued Maryland county clerks, charging that a state law denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates the Maryland Constitution.

ACLU Asks Judge to Rule for Marriage Equality in New York State (07/01/2004)
NEW YORK - Saying that ""tradition"" is not a valid reason to prevent same-sex couples from marrying, the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union today formally asked a New York judge to strike down the state's ban on marriage for same-sex couples.

ACLU Plans Challenge to Discriminatory Virginia Law Banning Contracts Between Same-Sex Couples (06/30/2004)
RICHMOND, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today announced that it is planning a court challenge to a new Virginia law that prohibits persons of the same sex from entering into a ""civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement"" that bestows ""the privileges or obligations of marriage."" The law, passed by strong majorities in the House of Delegates and Senate, takes effect on July 1.

Without Any Vote in Sight, House Holds Fourth Hearing on Marriage Rights; ACLU Repeats Call to Exclude Discrimination From Constitution (06/24/2004)
WASHINGTON - Despite signals from House leadership that a vote on a constitutional amendment to deny marriage rights to gays and lesbians will not happen anytime soon, the House Judiciary Committee today held its fourth hearing on denying marriage rights to gay and lesbian families. The American Civil Liberties Union renewed its opposition to the measure and called upon members to reject the politically motivated proposal that would write discrimination into the Constitution.

ACLU Renews Call to Keep Discrimination Out of Constitution; Points to Lack of Cohesion in Republican Party on Divisive Issue (06/22/2004)
WASHINGTON -- Prominent Republicans are expected to duel today before a Senate committee over whether Congress should adopt the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposal that would write discrimination into the Constitution.

ACLU Washington Director Asks Democratic Committee To Include Strong Stand for Civil Liberties in Party Platform (06/19/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Democratic Party Platform Committee to include strong language in its 2004 platform to protect and promote civil liberties.