Press Release

(New York, Wednesday, February 11, 2004) - In cities and towns nationwide, Lambda Legal and dozens of local groups will hold celebrations, community meetings, workshops and other events to mark National Freedom To Marry Week.

For the last six years, local groups in communities across the country have joined Lambda Legal in celebrating National Freedom To Marry Week - leading up to Valentine’s Day -- to build public support for the right of same-sex couples to marry.

(New York, Thursday, February 12, 2004) - Lambda Legal today issued the following statement from Gary Buseck, the organization’s Legal Director, about San Francisco officials issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and performing marriages:

(New York, Friday, February 13, 2004) - Lambda Legal today issued the following statement from Jon Davidson, Senior Counsel in its Western Regional Office in Los Angeles, about the San Francisco hearing on the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and performing marriages:

(San Francisco, Monday, February 17, 2004) — Two separate state courts today rejected efforts to immediately stop same-sex couples from receiving marriage licenses from the City of San Francisco.

(San Francisco, February 18, 2004) - Lambda Legal announced a settlement today between United Parcel Service and a gay couple who were forced to live apart for nine months because same-sex couples did not qualify for UPS’s “trailing spouse” policy, which allowed employees to relocate to another office when their spouse’s job forced a move. The lawsuit, filed in California state court last year by Lambda Legal on behalf of the couple, was dismissed today after the disputes between the parties were satisfactorily resolved.

(San Francisco, Thursday, February 19, 2004) - Lambda Legal today advised newly married same-sex couples and government officials issuing marriage licenses in San Francisco that antigay groups’ public statements threatening criminal action against them are groundless and should be ignored.

(New York, Tuesday, February 24, 2004) - Lambda Legal said today that a proposed amendment to the federal Constitution that President Bush announced his support for this morning could take away critical rights and protections from hundreds of thousands of families nationwide and even block them from seeking such protections through the nation’s centuries-old democratic process.

Lambda Legal tonight issued the following statement on New Paltz, New York, Mayor Jason West's decision to begin performing marriages of same-sex couples on Friday, February 27. Mayor West will solemnize the marriages without marriage licenses being issued; according to Lambda Legal, state law allows marriages to be solemnized without marriage licenses being issued.

"New York law says that a marriage should not be void just because no license was issued. State courts have upheld that previously.

(Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2004) - Saying that many recent gay-rights legal victories were decided by conservative judges, Lambda Legal today announced that it is launching a major national campaign to challenge claims that so-called “activist judges” make it necessary to pass a constitutional amendment banning marriages by same-sex couples.