Today, a Federal District Court in California is going to hearing the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which the ACLU describes as a:

Federal legal challenge to Proposition 8, filed by prominent attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies on behalf of two California couples.

The Executive Director of Equality California, Geoffrey Kors, did a Pam’s House Blend telephone interview with me on Sunday morning (January 10, 2010), which is below in an audio podcast format.

Pam’s House Blend Interview With Equality California’s Executive Director, Geoffrey Kors.

Interviewed by Autumn Sandeen; January 10, 2010 (Length: 31:36)

Pam, Lurleen, Louise, and I decided on five questions we wanted to pose to Geoffrey Kors — who is an attorney as well as being Equality California’s executive Director — so here’s what I asked him on behalf of Pam’s House Blend baristas and blenders in the interview:

1. Is the statement “As California goes, so goes the nation” applicable to Perry v. Schwarzenegger?  Given that relationship recognition schemes in different states still range widely from marriage equality to marriage bans with many gradations in between  – such as domestic partnerships and civil unions —  will a victory for California necessarily be a legal bellwether for other states?  Might it not spur the remaining states without a state anti-equality amendments to move forward with those kind of amendments?  What’s your take on how a marriage equality victory in federal district court for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Californians may impact the LGBT people in the rest of the nation?

2. In a nutshell, can you help the Pam’s House Blend blenders understand the difference between this case and the GLAD case in terms of law targeted and Constitutional principles relied upon?

3. Last week, you called on the Obama Administration to  – well, let me quote you:

“The time has come for elected leaders to empower all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Once again, we call on the Obama administration to join Equality California and others in urging the federal courts to strike down this grossly unjust law. In doing so, we will bring our nation one step closer to realizing its promise of equality for all. Our country’s bedrock principles of democracy and freedom are at stake.”

There is a petition attached to this Equality California action alert which asks the Obama Administration just that. Do you believe the Obama Administration will respond to this tactic? And besides this tactic, what other tactics do you feel will be most effective to get the attention of — and receive the desired reaction from — the White House and on Capitol Hill?

[Below the fold are the two other questions, and links to webpages/websites mentioned in the podcast.]

4. Besides signing the petition on the Equality California website, if a blender in California — or for that matter, outside of the state of California — wanted to help, what are some things blenders can do?

5. Lastly, trans people have a Loving v. Virginia problem regarding marriage, in that a legal, opposite gender marriage in some states is considered a same sex marriage in other states, and vice versa. With that, or any other thought in mind regarding the marriages of trans people, do you think this current case will have much of an impact for married trans people? And if yes, how do you think it could impact married trans people?

You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear Geoffrey Kors’ answers.

Geoffrey Kors referenced some web pages and websites in the interview, and these are found in the Further reading section below.

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Further reading:

* Equality California: Marriage in California

* Equality California friend-of the-court brief: Brief Of Amicus Curiae; Equality California

* Equality California: Petition to President Obama

* Equality California: Winning Back Marriage Equality (PDF of plans & talking points to win marriage equality)

* Let California Ring: LetCaliforniaRing.org (Support the Freedom to Marry)

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