Comments on: Three Pro-Gay Groups Seek To Elbow Their Way Into Prop 8 Lawsuit

By: Prop 8 Case Update: LGBT Groups Seek to Intervene

Prop 8 Case Update: LGBT Groups Seek to Intervene — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:51:04 +0000

[...] Burroway criticizes Lambda, the ACLU and NCLR for “Seek[ing] To Elbow Their Way Into Prop 8 Lawsuit.”] AKPC_IDS [...]

By: Kevin Kaatz

Kevin Kaatz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:52:27 +0000

I’m not sure why it matters who joins the case and when. What matters is that we win, or at least have a good chance at winning. Attacking these three groups because they ‘saw the light’ a bit later doesn’t make any sense–nor is it going to help the cause.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:27:28 +0000

I’m glad they don’t want their help. Those 3 were quick to attack the case, and provide no reasoning why they have changed their mind — other than to piggyback on the success and say “see, we did that, too.”

This is a long way from a success at this point. If they were sincere about wanting to win they’d take all the support they could get.

By: Jason D

Jason D — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:22:14 +0000

I’m glad they don’t want their help. Those 3 were quick to attack the case, and provide no reasoning why they have changed their mind — other than to piggyback on the success and say “see, we did that, too.”

I’m all for them trying to provide support and help, but to try to insert themselves into the case they originally opposed (the case hasn’t changed, btw) is pure coat-tail riding. Seems they don’t want to be shown up by 2 straight men.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:45:10 +0000

That Boies and Olson don’t want these successful groups involved further suggests to me that they’re in this to lose and set back the equal marriage cause as far as possible.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:35:03 +0000

Lindoro Almaviva, these 3 groups are the ones who won marriage in California and Iowa and who are responsible for every other major victory our community has ever had in the courts. They have brought about “real change” for decades. I think you have a legitimate beef with HRC and those types of lobbying groups, but the legal groups are completely different. We should be welcoming them. It’s great to have Ted Olson as the front man, but this case is really high stakes and very risky for everyone in our community. I for one am happy to have people who have done all the previous marriage cases involved.

By: A Stitch in Haste

A Stitch in Haste — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:19:26 +0000

[...] Box Turtle Bulletin: But now all of the sudden they want to become parties of the lawsuit itself, even though they wanted nothing to do with the move in the beginning. Olsen and Boise [sic] oppose their petition, saying that involving more groups would delay and unnecessarily complicate the proceedings. I agree. It worries me that one of the more important LGBT cases making its way in the federal courts could wind up having four different captains trying to pilot the ship. That alone should worry us. [...]

By: Lindoro Almaviva

Lindoro Almaviva — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:10:04 +0000

Bill:

What does that mean? Why can’t a straight person litigate a case for a gay person? Since when are black lawyers doing black cases and Hispanic lawyers doing immigration cases?

Sorry, but I have to disagree with your view there.

By: Pender

Pender — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:23:10 +0000

But there’s something else that’s troubling. Kristin Perry, Sandra Stier, Paul Katami, and Jeffrey Zarrillo are the four Californians named as plaintiffs in the suit. They have the grievance, they’ve selected their lawyers, and they are ready to go to court to have their rights upheld. That’s what plaintiffs do in lawsuits. And so it seems to me that those four plaintiffs should have a right to have their case argued on their behalf by lawyers of their own choosing.

But this isn’t really a case or controversy between two private parties. It’s impact litigation, intended to change the law across the nation, and the adversarial process is kind of an odd system for impact litigation. Intervention rules and amicus briefs are designed to address that weakness.

But I’m glad to see you’ve come around to supporting this lawsuit.

By: Bill in IL

Bill in IL — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:26:18 +0000

Lindoro -

You seem to be conflating HRC (who I agree, are highly ineffective) and these three legal groups who, along with GLAD, are responsible for almost all the legal progress LGBT folk have made recently.

I just think that it’s the height of arrogance for two straight guys who are gambling with the future of all LGBT folk to tell our legal groups that they don’t want our help. Really?

If the groups don’t get let in, and Olson/Boies lose, THEIR marriage licenses should be revoked.