The California Supreme Court's decision is available here. The California Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional under the California constitution for the state to continue to bar lesbian and gay couples from getting married. The decision was decided by the California courts based on the California constitution. While we believe that the rest of the country will ultimately follow California's lead, this decision is not binding on our courts.

Nonetheless - it is enormously exciting. One more state has recognized that marriage is a fundamental right - a right that ought not be denied based on the gender of the individuals involved.

We'll have more commentary on the details of the decision soon.

Update: ACLU National is posting the details on their website.

Update 2: The ruling should go into effect in 30 days (so, June 14th). Anti groups are asking for a stay until after the November election.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 15, 2008 12:17 PM | Categories:

The California Supreme Court is due to hand down it's ruling on marriage equality today. In 15 minutes. Everyone is waiting anxiously for the news. The ACLU is co-counsel in this case along with Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Either way - there's a anti-gay marriage amendment due for the California ballot in November. Whatever, the Supreme Court decides - the voters will likely be looking at the question again in a few months. California is in for a collossal battle. Our thoughts go out to the ACLU affiliates there, and the good folks at Let California Ring and Equality California.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 15, 2008 11:46 AM | Categories:

From ACLU National:

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union has obtained previously withheld documents from the Defense Department, including internal investigations into the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody overseas. Uncensored documents released as a result of the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit shed light on the deaths of detainees in Iraq and internal disagreement within the military over harsh interrogation practices used at Guantánamo Bay.

"These documents provide further evidence that the torture of prisoners in U.S. custody abroad was not aberrational, but was widespread and systemic," said Amrit Singh, a staff attorney with the ACLU. "They only underscore the need for an independent investigation into high-level responsibility for prisoner abuse."

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 14, 2008 1:05 PM | Categories:

New reports from the Washington Post indicate the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has been forcing anti-psychotic drugs into detainees it seeks to deport - simply for the purpose of "chemically restraining" them during transport:

The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 14, 2008 10:29 AM | Categories:

From ACLU National:

Late Friday night, the ACLU caught wind of a dangerous backroom deal brewing. The "deal" would rush a House vote that would push through a dangerous sellout on government spying powers, possibly in the next few days.

We need you to immediately contact your member of Congress. Let your representative know you're watching and expect him or her to stand firm. That means no immunity for lawbreaking phone and internet companies, and no spying on Americans without a warrant.

Contact your US Representative today and let them know - NO warrantless wiretapping and NO telecom immunity.

We did it before - Congress heard us loud and clear last time. Now they need a reminder. The Capitol Hill switchboard is (202)224-3121. Don't allow this dangerous legislation to move forward!

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 13, 2008 3:58 PM | Categories:

The ACLU of Illinois' Executive Director Colleen Connell is being honored by the American Constitution Society at their "Legal Legends Luncheon". Colleen is the first recipient of the Ruth Goldman award.

We are so proud of Colleen and her lifelong dedication to upholding the Constitution and civil liberties for all Americans. You can get tickets for the event by going to the ACS website.

Congratulations Colleen!

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 13, 2008 11:36 AM | Categories:

As though to provide further evidence for yesterday's post, the AP reports that the Pentagon has dropped charges against Mohammed al-Qahtani, formerly accused of being the "20th hijacker" for the attacks of 9/11. Despite having held this man for 6 and half years (he was captured in Afghanistan in December 2001), accused him of the gravest crimes, tortured him and "lost" the records of his detainment, the government now will not be trying him.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Categories:

In theory, the unprecedented surveillance of the the American public by the Bush Administration is justified by the idea that it will make us safer. We swap our private phone calls, our biometric data, even our bodily integrity for the notion that the government will thereby be able to find and prosecute terrorists, and protect us from harm.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 12, 2008 4:15 PM | Categories:

Throw the kids in the station wagon & find your pocket Constitutions, it's time to take the Capitol by storm! Join Ed Yohnka (Communications Director) and Allie Carter (Senior Field Manager) on the Illinois delegation to the ACLU's 2008 National Member Conference!


June 8 - 10, 2008
Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
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Posted by Allie Carter on May 6, 2008 3:43 PM | Categories:

The ACLU of Tennessee is representing two high school students outed by their high school principal. According to 365gay.com:

A public high school principal who posted the names of two boys on a list of students believed to be couples, revealing their relationship to their parents as well as other students and teachers, violated the students' constitutional right to freedom of association, the American Civil Liberties Union charged Tuesday.

In a letter to school board officials in Memphis, the ACLU demanded that the school reprimand the principal and take steps to ensure such actions never happen again.

In September of 2007, the principal at Hollis F. Price Middle College High told teachers she wanted the names of all student couples, "hetero and homo," because she wanted to monitor them personally to prevent students from engaging in public displays of affection.

The two students now represented by the ACLU, Andrew and Nicholas (who have asked that their last names not be revealed), were two A students who had been seeing each other for a short time and were attempting to keep their relationship quiet and private.

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Posted by Allie Carter on May 2, 2008 12:13 PM | Categories:

Our student speech case Nuxoll v. Indian Prairie School District #204, has been getting a lot of coverage in the blogosphere since last week's decision. Eric Zorn talked about the case, and had to watch his own speech! It hit... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 28, 2008 2:43 PM | Categories:

On April 22nd, students, parents and educators came together for a “Making Our Schools Safe for LGBT Students" community forum at Normal Community High School. A story on the forum is available from the Bloomington Pantagraph: http://pantagraph.com/articles/2008/04/23/news/doc480ec85f8a631418463241.txt. A radio piece... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 24, 2008 12:59 PM | Categories:

Sessions from the 2008 Member Conference are available online as podcasts to download. If you don't have time to listen, you can read this summary of the final panel of the day, featuring Congressman Ray LaHood: http://peoriastory.typepad.com/peoriastory/2008/04/lahood-tells-al.html. Thanks to Elaine... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 18, 2008 12:07 PM | Categories:

Join ACLU Youth-at-Risk project director Sarah Schriber on April 22nd for a forum on Safe Schools. Here's what the Bloomington Pantagraph wrote: Creating a safe school environment for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, will be the focus of... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 17, 2008 2:45 PM | Categories:

Despite President Bush's stunning admissions last Friday, the traditional media has largely ignored the news that specific torture techniques were approved and authorized by the highest levels of the Bush Administration.

Firedoglake has developed a tool to allow you to write a letter to the editor of your local papers demanding coverage of the ongoing torture scandal. You can find it at:

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/speakout/bushapproved

Only public outcry will convince Congress and the Attorney General to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the authorization of torture by the administration.

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Posted by Allie Carter on April 17, 2008 1:48 PM | Categories:

Stand Against Torture - Join the ACLU in calling for a special prosecutor on torture and war crimes.

Friday night, in a national television interview on ABC News, President Bush directly admitted what we have suspected all along: The White House was deeply and intimately involved in decisions about the CIA's use of torture.

For the first time, George W. Bush acknowledged that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA's use of torture. "I'm aware that our national security team met on this issue and I approved," he said. He also defended the use of waterboarding -- simulated drowning where the victim feels like they are about to die.

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Posted by Allie Carter on April 17, 2008 11:47 AM | Categories:

Some of the latest challenges to our civil liberties, and what you can do about it:

• Officials at the highest levels of the Bush Administration signed off on explicit torture techniques
• ACLU And NACDL Assembling Guantánamo Defense Teams
• Gay Couples Treated Unfairly Due to Lack of Legal Recognition

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Posted by Allie Carter on April 11, 2008 12:07 PM | Categories:

If you couldn't attend the 2008 ACLU of Illinois Membership Conference this past weekend in Peoria, you can listen in to the sessions via podcasts. Go to http://www.aclu-il.org/conference/agenda.shtml and click on the podcast to any of the sessions. The last... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 9, 2008 2:21 PM | Categories:

The ACLU of Illinois is actively monitoring and enforcing a federal court settlement in a class action lawsuit, which requires the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center to provide safe and clean living conditions for the children in their care.... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 8, 2008 2:23 PM | Categories:

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2008 ACLU of Illinois Membership Conference! In the next few days, we will be posting information and podcasts related to the Membership Conference. Here's the article that the Peoria Journal Star wrote about... read more and leave a comment »

Posted by Yesenia on April 7, 2008 7:30 AM | Categories: