City leaders from several states with gay marriage bans took a stand for marriage equality Monday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Dallas, when they signed a resolution calling on the Supreme Court to end marriage discrimination nationwide.
Despite their states' bans on same-sex marriage, mayors from Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri and Georgia were instrumental in the resolution’s passage. Among the signers were Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
“The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and urges the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to speedily bring national resolution by ruling in favor of the freedom to marry nationwide,” their statement reads.
The resolution was also signed by Kevin Faulconer, the Republican mayor of San Diego who serves as a chairman of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.
Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson applauded the resolution in a press release from his same-sex marriage advocacy group.
“From small towns to big cities, America’s mayors know that including gay couples in the freedom to marry does nothing but strengthen families and communities for all,” he said. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors has made it clear that it’s time for the federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court to follow the lead of numerous states and a wave of over 20 federal and state courts and bring an end to marriage discrimination nationwide. A year after the Supreme Court demolished the arguments propping up marriage discrimination, it’s time for the Court to finish the job and rule in favor of the freedom to marry once and for all.”
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