WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Supreme Court's June 26 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, striking down a state anti-sodomy law, marks a momentous sea change in how gays and lesbians are treated by the judicial system, say candidates and officeholders with the Green Party of the United States.

"This decision is a great accomplishment due to its eliminating sexual acts from criminal statutes that have been used against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons in both civil and criminal matters," said George DeCarlo, a gay Green Party candidate for the New Jersey State Assembly.

The Green Party of the United States celebrates the 6-3 decision as a landmark in civil rights history, a ruling  in the tradition of Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965 (contraception) and Roe v. Wade in 1973 (reproductive rights) in its affirmation of the individual's right to make personal decisions free from state interference. The Green Party has long supported the overturning of the 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick decision, which let stand Georgia's anti-sodomy law.

"Though these laws have been on the books only in several states and the military code, their impact has been felt in other states and the culture of the U.S.," said Ryan Reyes, who is also a gay Green running for the New Jersey Assembly.

Greens noted the rapid and vicious backlash against the Lawrence decision, when Sen. Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) has announced his intention to push for passage of a "Defense of Marriage" amendment that would confer governmental recognition exclusively to heterosexuals.  The Green Party of the United  States, which calls for full and equal legal recognition of same-sex civil unions, strongly opposes any such legislation.

President Bush on July 25 sent to Capitol Hill his policy statement that faith-based service providers who receive federal and state funds should not be prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sexuality.  The Green Party has criticized Bush's faith-based initiative and opposes any attempt to use the initiative to legitimize discrimination.  Greens observed that Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who  dissented in the Lawrence decision and are considered to be the Court's most reactionary voices, were confirmed with the votes of many Democrats in Congress.

"The dissenting opinions on this Supreme Court are coming from the same tyrannical faction that likes to tell  us how to have sex, who to have it with, or what pleasures are or are not valid," said Wisconsin Green Kyle Richmond, a gay Dane County Supervisor. "It's the same hypocritical group that doesn't quite feel 'comfortable' with us. In other words, they're just not comfortable with everyone having the rights they have."

The Green Party renewed its call for continued progress in the struggle for equality under the law for all  citizens.

"Ryan Reyes and myself have emphasized that there is no such thing as second class citizenship and that the franchise of citizenship is denied lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said DeCarlo. "Of course, areas such as joinings of same-sex couples and open participation in the Armed Forces are other aspects of citizenship currently denied our community"

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755 866-41-GREEN

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