SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the national ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project welcomed today's decision by the state Supreme Court to hear appeals in six lawsuits seeking marriage for same-sex couples. The ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, Equality California, Heller Ehrman LLP and the Law Office of David C. Codell represent a group of same-sex couples in one of the six marriage lawsuits. 

Alex Cleghorn, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California issued the following statement:

"We are pleased that the California Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in the lawsuits seeking marriage for same-sex couples in California.  California has a long history of treating all people with fairness, and we are hopeful that the Court will agree that it violates that fundamental fairness to deny same-sex couples and their families the dignity and respect that comes through marriage." 

Additional information about the case, Woo v. Lockyer, is available at: www.aclu.org/caseprofiles