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State, Local Leaders to Rally for Gay Marriage Equality

If the U.S. Supreme Court decides not to hear the case for Proposition 8, the rally will take place at the County Center in Redwood City.

UPDATE, MONDAY, 8:31 A.M.: 

The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) made an announcement Monday morning about cases they will grant hearings to in the near future, but no same-sex marriage cases were on the list.

"A decision on a new rally date is forthcoming," said Steve Epstein, acting chair of the Mid Peninsula Chapter of Marriage Equality USA. "I will be consulting with the experts within the marriage equality movement to decide the new date for our rally. As soon as it is decided, [we will let everyone] know."

The Court will be meeting to discuss future cases to hear again this Friday, Dec. 7 and again on Monday, Dec. 10.

According to Adam Umhoefer, Executive Director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, "With five cases currently before them dealing with issues related to marriage for gay and lesbian Americans, there is no doubt the Justices have much to consider."

Umhoefer said he "remains optimistic that the Justices will soon act in our case, either agreeing to hear our arguments or allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry in California, but we must also be prepared to stay vigilant into the New Year for a final determination from the Court." 

Patch will continue to follow this story.

Members of the Mid Peninsula Chapter of Marriage Equality USA, along with several state and local leaders, have announced they will hold a rally at noon in Redwood City on whichever day if the U.S Supreme Court decides not to hear the current Proposition 8 case, which outlaws same-sex marriage.

The Court is currently considering whether to hear the Prop. 8 case.  As soon as Monday, members of the Court could announce that they have decided not to hear the case.  

"If that happens, marriage equality will be the law in California, and same-sex marriages will resume soon after," said members of the Peninsula group in a statement. "If this is their decision, the Court will make an announcement at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on a weekday."

Many community leaders will speak at the rally, including members of the local clergy and public officeholders, including:

  • San Mateo County Supervisors Dave Pine and Don Horsley, and the staff of Supervisor Carole Groom
  • Senator Leland Yee’s District Director, Dan Lieberman
  • Rev. Terri Echelbarger, Senior Minister of the Peninsula Metropolitan Community Church
  • Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern, Parish Minister at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Palo Alto
  • Sara Matlin, chair of the ACLU-North Peninsula Chapter
  • Marshall Dinowitz, board member of the ACLU-North Peninsula
  • Ken Klucsor, president of San Jose/Peninsula PFLAG (Parents, Friends & Family of Lesbians and Gays)
  • Entertainment by the Raging Grannies

The Redwood City rally will be held on the patio outside the County Clerk's office, at 555 County Center. This event will coincide with many other rallies to be held statewide. 

The members of the Court could also decide to hear the case, which would mean they will have until June of 2013 to make a final decision on Proposition 8.  

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Jon DeLong May 18, 2013 at 06:45 pm
With so many good Mexican restaurants in the area, why bother?
Cid May 17, 2013 at 06:14 pm
I enjoy an occasional Taco Bell, but in the same shopping center as Happy Taco with far better,Read More authentic LOCAL Mexican food! Nah! I do enjoy the Combo locations that have KFC & TACO BELL. (Face it, Americans like to have choices!). With no drive-through, perhaps it will be better than the average suburban stores along the El Camino. As for another chain restaurant in Half Moon Bay...What did you expect? Demographics will continue to dictate that we can still expect to keep our "Fast-Food-Free-Zone" between Linda Mar and HMB while "City Councils or Planning Departments in the Cities will attract them....for their tax base.
Dee May 15, 2013 at 08:07 pm
Seriously? Taco Bell? Next to New Leaf? How did this happen? Not happy about this addition and notRead More looking forward to seeing Taco Bell trash all over the place. Not sure about KFC ... we already have a fast food chicken place at Popeyes so we certainly don't need another. The high school students will probably frequent Taco Bell the most and keep it in business but I will not be going there that's for sure.
Carol Wexler May 18, 2013 at 02:42 pm
I would consider volunteering at the California State Parks but dogs are not allowed and I wouldRead More need to bring my dog.
pae May 18, 2013 at 11:22 pm
Misha, I understand where you're coming from, but that's what we don't want to do. One reason thatRead More all dog owners are being discriminated against is those few who don't follow the rules. It doesn't matter that there are bicyclists and horseback riders who don't follow rules, they're "OK," it's the dog owners who pay the price. We want an area where our dogs can exercise freely and legally, where we won't be bothered by people who are afraid of dogs or dislike them, and where they're not at risk from horses who spook. For those of us who live surrounded by Rancho land especially, we don't want to have to drive miles to a small, fenced lot with crowds of others seeking to exercise their dogs in the same small area. We're paying for this open space with our tax dollars, and we want to have access to it. There's plenty of room for everyone.
Misha Flores May 17, 2013 at 09:35 am
To be honest I would probably just let my dog run around without a leash anyway, except there's soRead More much darned poison oak around these hills. I don't want her to get contaminated and then I hug her and trouble ensues.
Anne Martin May 16, 2013 at 04:29 pm
I don't own a dog now but empathize with the dog owners who have been deprived of the right toRead More allow their dogs to run free in the national recreation area that we as taxpayers own. As a taxpayer, I want to know the rationale for this policy. If it is to protect horses from being frightened by dogs what is the basis for that? How many horses use the open space? It appears that dozens of people who have been able to enjoy walking with their dogs in the open space adjoining their neighborhood are now being grossly inconvenienced because some faceless bureaucrats are creating rules that may have no basis in reality.
Chris Vance March 23, 2013 at 03:00 pm
What are you doing with the excess Undaria pinnatifida that is found? Can we get some of it for ourRead More compost piles at the Pacifica Sanchez Library Garden?