Upcoming Supreme Court Decision Spurs Activism Coast to Coast

National groups and local activists are pooling their resources for a nationwide series of events coinciding with the most important court decision for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people of our generation - the upcoming Supreme Court decision around the Lawrence v. Texas case.

At issue is Texas's "Homosexual Conduct Law" which, like other anti-sodomy and the 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick Supreme Court decision, is used to brand LGBT people as "illegal," and hence not deserving of equal rights in employment, housing, adoption and other fundamental areas.

According to Lambda Legal, which is leading the litigation for the LGBT community, the court is expected to issue one of four decisions:

1) It could choose to completely uphold the regressive Texas law, and thus affirm the anti-gay Bowers v. Hardwick decision;

2) It could choose to strike down the Texas law on the grounds that it criminalizes only same-gender sexual relations, and thus unconstitutionally denies Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals equal protection under the law;

3) It could choose to strike down the Texas law on the grounds that it violates the right to privacy. Such a decision would probably strike down all the nation's sodomy laws and provide an important boost to the right to abortion, another issue which previous courts have defended on privacy grounds; or,

4) It could choose to strike down the law on both the grounds of equal protection and defending privacy.

Lambda Legal and former national StopDrLaura organizers Robin Tyler and Andy Thayer have taken the lead in working with local groups to set up at least ten events around the country for the evening of the Court's decision, which is expected on a Monday morning during the month of June.

"The idea of holding a protest or a celebration in response to the Court decides is important," said Tyler, "because whatever the decision, our community needs to be mobilized. If the Court goes against us, the need for protest is obvious. But even if we get a favorable decision, we need to be in the streets because good court decisions can remain dead letters if there isn't community mobilization to force their implementation. Case in point: the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas case. Brown said schools were supposed to desegregate, yet nothing happen until the Civil Rights movement
began heating up almost a full decade later."

Thayer's organization, the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network, has set up a website to collect and transmit information about the campaign: www.CABN.org/DefendOurRights, www.CABN.org/DefendOurRights . Those who wish to organize a protest/celebration can go to this site for help with posters, flyers, or organizing, or e-mail CABNstopthehate@aol.com , call 888.471.0874 or check out the main website, www.CABN.org

The website for Lambda Legal is www.lambdalegal.org , www.lambdalegal.org , which has excellent
information about Lambda's legal challenge in this historic case and downloadable background information.

Here is a list (in formation) of events scheduled across the country:

ATLANTA: 6 pm - 10th and Piedmont. Info: Asha Leong, Lambda Legal, 404.897.1880

CHARLESTON, South Carolina: 7 pm - Meeting at the offices of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, 1818 Elsie Drive. Co-sponsors: AFFA and the Lowcountry Gay and Lesbian Alliance

CHICAGO: 7 pm - Protest or Celebration rally at the corner of Halsted & Roscoe, depending on what the court decides. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network and Equality Illinois / Contact: CABNstopthehate@aol.com / www.cabn.org or 888.471.0874

COLUMBIA, South Carolina: 7 pm - Informational meeting at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, 1108 Woodrow. Info: South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, 803.771.7713

DALLAS: 5:45 pm - Rally at the Gay Community Center. Info: call Lee Taft or Roger Wedell, Lambda Legal, 214.219.8585

HOUSTON: 5 pm - Protest or Celebration Rally on the steps of City Hall (901 Bagby), depending on what the court decides. Join John Lawrence and Tyron Garner for this important occasion. Speakers will include GLBT leaders, lawyers, and public officials. Info: contact Mitchell Katine at 713.981.9595 or at
mkatine@wba-law.com

LOS ANGELES/WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA: 7 pm - West Hollywood Auditorium (the Auditorium is located on San Vicente between Santa Monica and Melrose). Protest or Celebration rally, depending on what the Court decides, co-sponsored by the Movement for Action and Accountability and the City of West Hollywood. Speakers will include attorney Jon Davidson from Lambda Legal, one of the legal organizations involved in the case, attorney Martha Matthews from the ACLU of Southern California, State Senator Sheila Kuehl, Assembly people Jackie Goldberg and Paul Koretz, the West Hollywood City Council, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, rally organizer Ivy Bottini, and StopDrLaura.com creator Robin Tyler. Contact: Ryan
Gierach 323.650.2879 or Ryan.G@Journalist.com

NEW YORK: 7 pm - Protest or Celebration Rally, depending on what the Court decides, at Stonewall Park (7th Ave/Christopher St). Sponsored by Queers For Peace And Justice NYC. Info: QueersForPeaceAndJustice@yahoo.com

FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="RICHMOND, Virginia: 3 pm - Press conference at the Bell Tower at the
Capitol. Info: Dyana Mason, Equality Virginia, 804.643.4816

WASHINGTON, DC: 7 pm - Protest or Celebration Rally, depending on what the Court decides, at Dupont Circle Park. Co-sponsored by Queers for Racial and Economic Justice & DC Radical Faeries / Contact: jench1977@hotmail.com or 301.277.1854