Mayors from across the United States on
Monday called on federal courts, including the Supreme Court, to rule
against state bans excluding gay couples from marriage.
“The United States Conference of
Mayors reaffirms its support of the freedom to marry for same-sex
couples and urges the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme
Court, to speedily bring national resolution by ruling in favor of
the freedom to marry nationwide,” reads a resolution overwhelmingly
approved by the U.S. Conference of Mayors at its annual meeting in
Dallas.
According to a statement released by
Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, a group of over 450 mayors who
support marriage equality, Mayor Greg Stanton of Phoenix (pictured)
led in introducing the resolution.
Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to
Marry, applauded the move.
“From small towns to big cities,
America’s mayors know that including gay couples in the freedom to
marry does nothing but strengthen families and communities for all,”
Wolfson said in a statement. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors has
made it clear that it’s time for the federal appellate courts and
the U.S. Supreme Court to follow the lead of numerous states and a
wave of over 20 federal and state courts and bring an end to marriage
discrimination nationwide. A year after the Supreme Court demolished
the arguments propping up marriage discrimination, it’s time for
the Court to finish the job and rule in favor of the freedom to marry
once and for all.”
(The
full text of the resolution.)