THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release:
Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576,
nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Brandon Campos Lacy, Chair, Lavender Green
Caucus, 612-729-2238, camposvive@hotmail.com



GREENS HAIL THE U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION
OVERTURNING THE TEXAS SODOMY LAW
Greens call Sen. Frist's proposed antigay
marriage amendment a vicious backlash.


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Supreme Court's June
26 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, striking down a
state anti-sodomy law, marks a momentous sea
change in how gays and lesbians are treated by
the judicial system, say candidates and officeholders
with the Green Party of the United States.

"This decision is a great accomplishment due to
its eliminating sexual acts from criminal
statutes that have been used against gays,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons in
both civil and criminal matters," said George
DeCarlo, a gay Green Party candidate for the New
Jersey State Assembly.

The Green Party of the United States celebrates
the 6-3 decision as a landmark in civil rights
history, a ruling in the tradition of Griswold v.
Connecticut in 1965 (contraception) and Roe v.
Wade in 1973 (reproductive rights) in its
affirmation of the individual's right to make
personal decisions free from state interference.
The Green Party has long supported the
overturning of the 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick
decision, which let stand Georgia's anti-sodomy
law.

"Though these laws have been on the books only in
several states and the military code, their
impact has been felt in other states and the
culture of the U.S.," said Ryan Reyes, who is
also a gay Green running for the New Jersey
Assembly.

Greens noted the rapid and vicious backlash
against the Lawrence decision, when Sen. Bill
Frist (R.-Tenn.) has announced his intention to
push for passage of a "Defense of Marriage"
amendment that would confer governmental
recognition exclusively to heterosexuals.  The
Green Party of the United States, which calls for
full and equal legal recognition of same-sex
civil unions, strongly opposes any such
legislation.

President Bush on July 25 sent to Capitol Hill
his  policy statement that faith-based service
providers who receive federal and state funds
should not be prohibited from discriminating on
the basis of sexuality.  The Green Party has
criticized Bush's faith-based initiative and
opposes any attempt to use the initiative to
legitimize discrimination.  Greens observed that
Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who
dissented in the Lawrence decision and are
considered to be the Court's most reactionary
voices, were confirmed with the votes of many
Democrats in Congress.

"The dissenting opinions on this Supreme Court
are coming from the same tyrannical faction
that likes to tell us how to have sex,
who to have it with, or what pleasures are or are
not valid," said Wisconsin Green Kyle Richmond, a
gay Dane County Supervisor. "It's the same
hypocritical group that doesn't quite feel
'comfortable' with us. In other words, they're
just not comfortable with everyone having the
rights they have."

The Green Party renewed its call for continued
progress in the struggle for equality under law
for all citizens.

"Ryan Reyes and myself have emphasized that there
is no such thing as second class citizenship and
that the franchise of citizenship is denied
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,"
said DeCarlo. "Of course, areas such as joinings
of same-sex couples and open participation in the
Armed Forces are other aspects of citizenship
currently denied our community."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755 866-41-GREEN

New Jersey Assembly candidates George DeCarlo and
Ryan Reyes
http://www.District21Greens.org