L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Responds to Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Video Transmission of Prop. 8 Hearing

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the video transmission of the proceedings in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean has issued the following statement:

"It is very troubling that the Supreme Court has decided to prohibit, even on a delayed basis, any video transmission of the proceedings in Perry v. Schwarzenegger.  In doing so, the Court has failed to recognize that where matters so basic to the dignity and equality of millions of Americans are at issue, it is even more imperative than usual that all of the constitutional arguments, pro and con, be exposed to the greatest possible public scrutiny.

"Given its widespread interest and potentially historic implications, there couldn't be a more ideal case with which to launch the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' new initiative to allow video cameras in the courtroom, as Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker confirmed in his order of only last week.

"Moreover, it is a new height in gall, but also extraordinarily telling, that the backers of Proposition 8, who only months ago were spending millions of dollars to broadcast their lies and distortions about marriage equality up and down the state of California, are now the ones petitioning the courts to shield their anti-gay arguments from public view. They clearly know full well that without the appeals to fear and prejudice, which have become their stock-in-trade, they have no case to make against fairness and equal treatment for all Americans.

"But they should make no mistake ... whether or not cameras are there to record it, they will not be able to hide for very long the poverty of their arguments, or the injustice of their cause."

About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, welcoming nearly a quarter-million  client  visits  from  ethnically  diverse  youth  and  adults  each  year.  Through  its  Jeffrey  Goodman  Special  Care  Clinic  and  on-site pharmacy, the Center offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention. The Center also offers  legal,  social,  cultural,  and educational services,  with  unique  programs  for  seniors,  families  and  youth,  including a  24-bed  transitional  living program for homeless youth. Information about the Gay & Lesbian Center is available on the Web at www.lagaycenter.org.

SOURCE L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center