MALDEF RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT DOMA AND PROPOSITION 8 RULINGS

MALDEF

Decisions a Critical Milestone in Civil Rights

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today, MALDEF President and General Counsel, Thomas A. Saenz, released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings striking down DOMA and preventing enforcement of California’s Proposition 8:

"This morning, the Supreme Court decided two cases of tremendous import to the cause of equality and justice. In striking down the deplorable Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and in barring initiative proponents from appealing a decision striking down California's Proposition 8, the Court has permitted California to rejoin the growing number of states that recognize the importance of marriage equality, and has ensured that couples who marry in any of these states will not be harmed by the bias and prejudice of those federal lawmakers who enacted DOMA. These decisions will make real the right of thousands of Latinas and Latinos to marry the partners they love. More important, these decisions are a critical recognition of the necessity of providing equal rights to everyone in the sacred realm of family. These momentous impacts make today's Supreme Court decisions a victory for the ongoing mission and values of MALDEF. We thank and congratulate our allies who have led this fight and achieved this overdue victory."

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "Latino Legal Voice for Civil Rights in America" MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.