SILICON VALLEY LGBTQ GROUP CELEBRATES DECISION BY U.S. SUPREME COURT THAT GUARANTEES EQUAL RIGHT TO MARRIAGE IN ALL STATES

PRESS RELEASE

June 26, 2015

Press Contacts:
James Gonzales, BAYMEC President (510) 551-8218
Wiggsy Sivertsen, BAYMEC Co-Founder (408) 859-9991

(SAN JOSE, CA) The Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC) will celebrate with supporters of same-sex marriage in front of San Jose City Hall today at 6 p.m., following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision extending federal protection to the right of same-sex couples to marry everywhere in the United States. The Court also required all states to recognize valid marriage licenses of same-sex couples from other states.

“I think history will view today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision as one of the most significant civil rights opinions in history. A majority of justices today rejected government sanctioned bigotry and persecution, and by doing so, they extended rights to a nation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning Americans, who obey the laws, pay their taxes, and have the same inalienable human right to marry as everyone else,” said James Gonzales, President of BAYMEC.

The high court overturned the state bans on same-sex marriage based on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.

“Even though same-sex couples in California already enjoy the right to marry, we celebrate with couples in states who had been denied this right until today. LGBTQ Americans are freer today than ever before. There is still more to do to achieve full equal rights, but I am so happy to have lived to see this day,” said Wiggsy Sivertsen, co-founder of BAYMEC.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager, also a co-founder of BAYMEC, stated: “I’ve spent most of my life fighting for the rights of LGBTQ people. While there are still many challenges ahead, marriage equality is a critical step on the road to full acceptance of LGBTQ people everywhere.  Today’s ruling is a clear victory over bigotry and discrimination.”

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The Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC) is a bi-partisan lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) political action committee. It has been advocating for the civil rights of LGBT people since 1984.