Laguna Joins Same-Sex Marriage Court Brief

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Robert Whalen
Robert Whalen

Mayor Bob Whalen joined 225 other mayors in signing onto a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to end marriage discrimination nationwide, the city manager said in a statement.

The brief includes signatures from mayors in town ranging from Thompson, N.D., with a population of 1,018, to the nation’s five largest cities.

“We launched Mayors for the Freedom to Marry three years ago because mayors are closest to their constituents and communities and singularly able to make the case that marriage makes for stronger families and a more vibrant economy,” Marc Solomon, campaign director of Freedom to Marry, said in a statement. “This brief demonstrates the diversity of leaders across the country who know that America is ready for the freedom to marry and want the Supreme Court to bring our country to national resolution.”

For his part, Whalen said, “Laguna Beach has long been at the forefront of the effort to eliminate discrimination against same sex couples and to promote equal rights for these individuals who are our friends, neighbors and an important part of our community.  The City Council’s unanimous vote to support this effort underscores our continued commitment to this cause.”

The brief was written by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and was filed at the Supreme Court Friday, March 6.   It states: “Municipalities, as the level of government most closely connected to the community they serve, bear a great burden when a target sector of their populace is denied the right to marry. … When the freedom to marry is denied, municipalities are the first level of government to suffer the impact.”

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