Attorney General Eric Holder delivers scathing review of Cleveland Police Department
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday that the Supreme Court should allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states when it hears the case later this year.
(Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Public officials and advocacy groups in Ohio and around the nation are praising the U.S. Supreme Court's announcement Friday that it will hear a case that asks whether same-sex marriage should be allowed in all 50 states.
The plaintiffs and Attorney General Mike DeWine have said they are happy the court will take up the case, since the issue can now be decided once and for all.
Here are just a few reactions from others:
• U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, whose office will be filing an amicus, or friend of the court brief, said: "It is time for our nation to take another critical step forward to ensure the fundamental equality of all Americans – no matter who they are, where they come from, or whom they love."
• Michael Premo, campaign manager for Why Marriage Matters Ohio: "We welcome the news that the Supreme Court will finally take up the issue of marriage equality. This is a watershed moment in American history, and we are optimistic that the Court will ultimately rule in favor of the freedom to marry for all Americans. ... Since the vast majority of states now have the freedom to marry, it is time for the Supreme Court to decide the matter once and for all in favor of giving every American the right to marry the person they love."
• U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: "A growing majority of Americans supports extending full civil rights to our LGBT family, friends, and neighbors. It's time for the courts to recognize that marriage equality is a right guaranteed by the Constitution's promise of equality for all Americans."
• State Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood: "I join all fair minded Ohioans in applauding today's decision by the Supreme Court of The United States to hear all cases from the 6th Circuit Court, which includes Ohio's case. I am ever hopeful of a time in our future when all couples will have the right to marry so that families like mine have the opportunity to experience the full depth and breadth of constitutional equality."
• Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage: "It is time for the 50 million Americans who stood for marriage in 30 states to have their day in court. We are confident that the Supreme Court has chosen the 6th Circuit case in order to affirm the finding of the Appeals court. ... We will be watching this case closely and anticipate an eventual victory for the democratic process, religious liberty, and the cherished institution of marriage which forms the very bedrock of our society."
• Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin: "Marriage has returned to the U.S. Supreme Court faster than virtually any other issue in American history, and there's a simple reason for that -- committed and loving gay and lesbian couples, their children, and the fair-minded American people refuse to wait a single day longer. ... We've reached the moment of truth -- the facts are clear, the arguments have been heard by dozens of courts, and now the nine justices of the Supreme Court have an urgent opportunity to guarantee fairness for countless families, once and for all."
• Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry: "The Supreme Court's decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide -- and it's time. ... Virtually every court up until this point, including the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Circuits and a 59 percent majority of the American people, including Republicans under age 45, support the freedom to marry."