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Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Do Black same-sex couples really want -- or need -- the option to legally marry?
There are many Black gay and lesbian couples who wish to obtain a marriage license from the state of California.
Black same-sex couples are already living married lives.
Fourteen percent (14%) of LGBT Americans are Black. Forty-five percent (45%) of Black same-sex couples reported stable relationships of five years or longer on the U.S. Census. This figure is similar to that of heterosexual couples.
California is home to a thriving community of families headed by Black lesbians and gay men. The San Francisco area is home to at least 2,114 Black same-sex households and the Los Angeles area is home to at least 3,421 black same-sex households.
Same-sex couples in California reflect California’s racial and ethnic diversity. Among same-sex couples in California, approximately 40% are racial/ethnic minorities. Over two-thirds of the children of same-sex couples belong to minority racial/ethnic groups. Six percent (6%) of same-sex couples’ own children are Black.
Taking it to Court: Woo v. California.
Black same-sex couples are actively seeking the ability to legally marry in California. On March 12, 2004, The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Lambda Legal, and the ACLU filed a lawsuit (Woo v. California) on behalf of twelve same-sex couples, Equality California, and the Our Family Coalition.
The lawsuit asserts that excluding same-sex couples from marriage violates the state constitution’s guarantees of equality, liberty, privacy, and freedom of expression. (Lawsuit filed in the San Francisco County Superior Court, California, March 12, 2004. Original complaint is available at
http://www.nclrights.org/cases/pdf/complaint_woo_lockyer.pdf
A wide variety of religious, professional, labor, educational, and civil rights organizations also filed briefs in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. A list of the organizations that joined briefs supporting the right to marry for same-sex couples and copies of the briefs is available at http://www.nclrights.org/cases/woo_v_california.htm
Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson:
"I see this as a civil rights issue. That means I support gay civil marriage."
He also authorized the first Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Legislative Caucus in the California State Legislature so that issues affecting this community can be heard.
