Queer Quote: Chad Griffin Sets Goal For Nationwide Marriage Equality

Chad Griffin, the wunderkind behind the federal lawsuit that resulted in Proposition 8's demise last week, made this promise (or threat?) which I would like to highlight as today's Queer Quote:

"Within five years, we will bring marriage equality to all 50 states in the U.S."

Griffin was the founding board president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) who sponsored the Hollingsworth v. Perry case. He is now the president of the Human Rights campaign, the nation's largest LGBT political organization.

Today comes word that activists in multiple states are moving forward to make Griffin's vision a reality.

For example, in New Jersey, the Executive Director of Garden State Equality, Troy Stevenson, has made the audacious claim that marriage equality will happen in that state by the end of the year. To that end, Lambda Legal filed a motion today asking for summary judgment in their lawsuit against the state, citing 2005's landmark Lewis v. Harris decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court and last week's United States v. Windsor decision by the United States Supreme Court. If  that wasn't enough, Democrats in the New Jersey state legislature are gearing up to try and override Republican Governor Chris Christie's veto of a marriage equality bill that passed in 2011.

In New Mexico, which is the only other state besides New Jersey that does not contain a statutory or constitutional ban on marriage equality in the country, the ACLU and NCLR have petitioned the state Supreme Court to answer the question whether same-sex couples can obtain civil marriage licenses and get married in the Land of Enchantment.

There is action in other states as well. Read Chris Geidner's wrap-up for more.