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Lambda Legal Files Brief in Defense of Cleveland Domestic Partner
Registry
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"To suggest to same-sex couples and their families thata domestic
partnership registry somehow resembles marriage is preposterous."
(Cleveland, OHFebruary 17, 2010) - Today, in the Court of Appeals of
Ohio,Eighth Appellate District, Lambda Legal filed a
friend-of-the-court brief in support of the city of Clevelandin a
lawsuit brought by an antigay group attempting to strip away the
newly enacted domestic partnership registry for same-sex couples and
their families.
"To suggest to same-sex couples and their families that a domestic
partnership registry somehow resembles marriage is preposterous. The
domestic partnership law in Cleveland and the state
constitutional amendment barring same-sex couples from marriage are not
in conflict with each other," said Christopher Clark, Senior Staff
Attorney in Lambda Legal's Midwest Regional Office based in Chicago."We
hope this court will rule as other courts across the country have
ruled and dismiss this mean-spirited attack on same-sex couples and
their families."
The state passed a constitutional amendment in 2004 that prohibits
marriage for same-sex couples in Ohio and bars recognition of any legal
status that approximates marriage. Last year, the Cleveland City
Council voted to create a registry for same-sex couples. It is believed
that many employers use this registry as a basis for determining
eligibility for health insurance and other company benefits provided to
domestic partners.
Alliance Defense Fund, an antigay legal group, filed a lawsuit against
the city arguing that the domestic partnership registry is a violation
of the constitutional amendment barring marriage equality. The suit was
filed on August 12 on behalf of the antigay group Cleveland Taxpayers
for the Ohio Constitution.
Lambda Legal argues in the amicus brief that the Ohio constitution does
not prevent the city of Cleveland from having a domestic partnership
registry. Although domestic partnership registries are created by cities
and other governmental entities to show their commitment to equality for
same-sex couples and their families, the registries are by no means a
substitute for marriage.
ChristopherC lark, Senior Staff Attorney, is handling the case for
Lambda Legal. He is joined by Timothy Carraher, Affiliated Attorney.
The case is City of Cleveland ex rel. Cleveland Taxpayers for the Ohio
Constitution, et al. v. City of Cleveland
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