ACLU rep speaks about same-sex marriage ban
Amy Miller, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, explained the organization’s stance toward gay marriage during a presentation to about 100 students at Chadron State College on Friday.
Miller said the ACLU of Nebraska, which is based in Lincoln, isn’t advocating gay marriage, but rather questioning the constitutionality of Nebraska’s amendment against it.
In 2000, the amendment, known as Initiative 416, garnered 70 percent of the vote and became part of the constitution. In a May ruling, a federal court struck down the amendment, saying that it amounted to punishment.
ACLU of Nebraska, Citizens for Equal Protection, and Nebraska Advocates for Justice and Equality filed the lawsuit challenging the ban, arguing that the amendment prevented individuals from lobbying the Legislature on protections for same-sex couples.
The state has appealed the ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.
Miller was one of a number of political speakers who were invited to campus this fall by Luke Perry, a new political science professor at CSC. Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne spoke about a variety of topics at the college.
In another effort to promote dialogue, Chadron State students debated the war in Iraq during a public session earlier this week.
Category: Campus News