One year ago today, history was made. The U.S. District Court declared:

“Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.”

The landmark decision was the first time a federal court ruled that gay and lesbian people have a fundamental freedom to marry the person they love. Its significance will be felt for years to come.

Our victory on that August day was the direct result of an exhaustive trial and intense preparation to prove our case in federal court. AFER’s attorneys presented hundreds of pieces of evidence. We found and examined expert witnesses of history, social sciences, psychology and then some. Our media team arranged countless interviews in nearly every major media outlet across the country.

We successfully demonstrated the harm imposed by discrimination to the court and to the American people. We corrected lies, untruths and misunderstandings promulgated by those who try to enshrine hate.

The trial, and every step of our case since, has given everyday people incredible insight into the reasons why gay and lesbian Americans should be treated like every other American.

Unfortunately, the group trying to ban marriage equality is trying to prevent the American people from seeing video footage of the public trial. With a hearing on releasing the Prop. 8 tapes less than a month away, we need your renewed and continued efforts now.

Sign our open letter to release the Prop. 8 tapes so that Americans can see the trial for themselves. And be sure to post it on your Facebook and Twitter.

Make no mistake: Prop. 8 is hanging by a thread. We’ve won in District Court and we are now defending victory against an onslaught of stall tactics and desperate legal maneuvers. The forces of hate and discrimination are losing. Equality is winning.

And when the first couple in California is again able to say “I Do,” our victory will be indelible.

Best,

Adam Umhoefer
Senior Project Director
American Foundation for Equal Rights