Ask California's Mayors: Speak out against Prop 8. The Supreme Court is watching.

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Subject: Mayors against Prop 8 Hey,

On March 26, the Supreme Court will hear the Prop 8 case. We have a voice in the courtroom. Right now, Courage Campaign is coming together with Mayors from Sacramento all the way down to San Diego to let the Supreme Court know: Prop 8 is bad for our cities and our communities. But some Mayors haven't joined us to speak with one loud, clear voice.

No matter where you live, can you take a second to e-mail California's Mayors and ask them to sign our joint statement against Prop 8? Click here to read it and e-mail with just a click of a button:

http://act.couragecampaign.org/letter/Prop8Mayors/?source=taf

Leaders like Mayors Villaraigosa and Quan from cities as large as LA and Oakland have joined our call, and as small as Monte Sereno and Healdsburg, where Mayors Curtis and Jones know Prop 8 divides their communities and denies respect, dignity and equality to their gay and lesbian citizens. Now we need the rest of California to join with one voice to tell the Supreme Court: Prop 8 is unconstitutional and must go.

Click here to join California's civic leaders and help end Prop 8.:

http://act.couragecampaign.org/letter/Prop8Mayors/?source=taf

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Ask California's Mayors: Speak out against Prop 8 as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the case!

Dear California's Mayors,

I join over 750,000 Courage Campaign members and dozens of other Mayors across California to ask for your leadership in once again securing the freedom to marry for the tens of thousands of California same-sex couples.

On March 26, the Supreme Court of the United States will take up Hollingsworth v. Perry considering the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8. Legal advocates agree: the Supreme Court takes note of voices and events outside the courthouse. Your voice will help create the kind of climate we need to secure victory.

We therefore ask you to:

1) Set the tone with other Mayors across California in a joint statement urging the Supreme Court to end Proposition 8. Text of this statement and a list of Mayors speaking out can be found here: (http://act.couragecampaign.org/letter/Prop8Mayors/). Showing your support will help demonstrate to the justices that history is on the side of equality. It will be a terrific opportunity to showcase your leadership on this issue.

2) Fly the LGBT “pride” flag over City Hall on March 26 and 27. The Prop. 8 case will be heard on March 26, followed the next day by USA v. Windsor (concerning the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act). Your leadership of other California mayors will generate considerable public attention and help show the Supreme Court, and the public, that the time has come to support full equality.

Thank you again for your leadership and support. I look forward to your prompt reply.

Ask California's Mayors: Speak out against Prop 8. The Supreme Court is watching.

E-mail California's Mayors and ask him/her to sign the California Mayors United Against Proposition 8 statement!

Statement of California Mayors United Against Proposition 8

Concerning Hollingsworth v. Perry

As the Supreme Court of the United States considers the fate of Proposition 8, we call upon the justices to consider carefully our special role in leading the people of California’s cities.

As Mayors, we have a responsibility to unite our cities, not divide them. Key to that is building family integrity, including ensuring all loving, committed couples in our cities have the same freedoms and rights. Proposition 8 created separate and unequal status for same-sex couples throughout California, and denies equality to same-sex couples, violating the Constitutional guarantee of due process and equal protection. In the words of Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, “(it) has no effect other than to lessen the status and dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

As Mayors, we have a special view of the separate class system created by Proposition 8. Individuals who are public servants and work to improve our cities do not receive important benefits for their loved ones as other couples do, because they are denied the recognition of marriage. Residents of our cities who work in the private sector must hope that their private employer confers such benefits upon same-sex couples, while their heterosexual co-workers do not face such obstacles. Proposition 8 has only served to divide our city into groups, one with more rights and dignity than the other.

We encourage the Supreme Court to find Proposition 8 unconstitutional and restore the freedom to marry to all of California’s loving, committed couples.

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Mayor Bates, Berkeley

Mayor Brinton, Arcata

Mayor Boardman, Huntington Beach

Mayor Cabaldon, West Sacramento

Mayor Cassidy, San Leandro

Mayor Curtis, Monte Sereno

Mayor Filner, San Diego

Mayor Foster, Long Beach

Mayor Gin, Redondo Beach

Mayor Glass, Petaluma

Mayor Golonski, Brubank

Mayor Harrison, Fremont

Mayor Hines, Rancho Mirage

Mayor Johnson, Sacramento

Mayor Jones, Healdsburg

Mayor Krovoza, Davis

Mayor Landman, Cotati

Mayor Lim, San Mateo

Mayor Low, Campbell

Mayor Matthews, Santa Clara

Mayor McLaughlin, Richmond

Mayor Pougnet, Palm Springs

Mayor Prang, West Hollywood

Mayor Quan, Oakland

Mayor Schneider, Santa Barbara

Mayor Spitaleri, Sunnyvale

Mayor Villaraigosa, Los Angeles