Same-Sex Marriage

Legal Momentum takes a leading role in helping courts understand how restricting the institution of marriage to opposite-sex couples fosters impermissible sex stereotypes. The right of same sex couples to marry is one of the defining civil rights issues of our time.

Those who wish to deny same-sex couples the right to marry rely on outdated sex stereotypes about "gender appropriate" roles within marriage, typically arguing that children need a "mother" and a "father" role model and suggesting, for example, that men are responsible for teaching children about initiative, risk taking, and independence whereas women are responsible for care giving and nurturing.

Legal Momentum has long been recognized as a pioneer in eradicating sex discrimination in all aspects of our society. That's why national organizations, including Lambda Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project have asked Legal Momentum to bring its expertise on sex discrimination issues to bear in this context. With generous pro bono assistance from Irell & Manella, LLP, we have prepared or signed onto amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs in many of the important cases working their way through courts around the country.

Legal Momentum is also actively opposing the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment which would ban marriage rights for same-sex couples

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