Now that the Supreme Court has issued its rulings for two major gay marriage cases, the Human Rights Campaign is focusing its attention on Utah. The Campaign’s President Chad Griffin was in Salt Lake City Thursday calling for equality in Utah and the other 36 states that do not allow same-sex marriage.
Chad Griffin was inside the Supreme Court when the rulings were announced. He received a phone call from President Obama congratulating him. He then flew to California to celebrate the nullification of Proposition 8. His next destination was the Utah Pride Center in Salt Lake City.
“This morning, I wanted to wake up and go to the state who – although you were able to celebrate what happened yesterday - you didn’t actually feel the reach of justice by those decisions yesterday,” Griffin told a crowd of LGBT advocacy organizations. “We celebrated last night. Today we roll up our sleeves, and we get to work because we have a long ways to go until every single person, our brothers and sisters across this country have full equality under the law.”
Griffin vowed that the Human Rights Campaign and its allies would continue the fight for marriage equality in state legislatures, in Congress, at the ballot box, and in federal courts.
“Within 5 years, we will bring marriage equality to all 50 of our states. Yes, right here in the state of Utah too,” Griffin said as the crowd applauded.
A complaint against Utah’s constitutional amendment which bans same-sex marriage is pending in federal district court. The Utah Attorney General’s office is expected to respond this summer.
