UPDATE: Locations for DOMA & Prop 8 Decision Day announced

UPDATE: Here are the locations for Decision Day rallies across Kansas. On the day the Supreme Court rules on DOMA and Prop 8, all rallies will start simultaneously at 5:30pm. More locations may be announced in the coming days: Hutchinson: Avenue A Park, Main and Avenue A, near the grasshopper, Hutchinson Map: http://goo.gl/maps/4rCNt Kansas City: Ilus Davis Park, in front of US District Courthouse, 9th & Oak, Kansas City, MO Map: http://goo.gl/maps/FlraZ Lawrence: South Park Gazebo, 1128 Massachusetts, Lawrence Map: http://goo.gl/maps/jprrI Salina: Robert Caldwell Plaza, 300 W Ash, Salina (between the Library and City-County Building) Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Z7GR5 Manhattan: Triangle Park Aggieville, at the corner of Anderson and Manhattan Avenues, Manhattan Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Guv9B Dodge City: Wyatt Earp and 2nd Street, Dodge City, KS Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Di9cm Topeka: State Capitol South Steps, Topeka Map: http://goo.gl/maps/TYbT3 Wichita: Old Town Plaza, 2nd Street and Mead, Wichita Map: http://goo.gl/maps/9Ld0c ============================================== The US Supreme Court will likely be issuing their decisions on the California Proposition 8 and DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) cases sometime this month, and probably later this month at that. In any event, the decisions should be announced before the end of the term on June 30. We know the decisions will probably be announced first thing one June morning, and that word will spread very quickly. In advance of that, KEC chapters across the state are currently identifying locations where we can gather in observance of the decisions. There's no advance way to know, beyond speculation, what those decisions will be. Will there be cause for massive celebrations? Will it be time for candlelight vigils or other forms of protest? Will the results be mixed? Only the Supreme Court knows the answers to those questions, and they're not talking. There are a variety of possible decisions they could reach: On Prop 8, the Court could: • Dismiss the case as “improvidently granted.” In other words, the justices decide the matter should not have been brought to the Supreme Court in the first place. This would let the narrow, California-only ruling in favor of marriage equality stand. • Rule that the Prop 8 proponents - the people opposed to equality - did not have “standing” to bring the case. The State of California refused to challenge the ruling that Prop 8 was unconstitutional, leaving it to private citizens to defend it in court. The Supreme Court may say they had no standing to appear. That would revert the case back to Judge Walker’s original ruling - that Prop 8 violates the U.S. Constitution on equal protection and due process grounds - which would once again permit marriage equality in California. • Rule Prop 8 constitutional, which would leave in place all current state bans. • Rule Prop 8 UN-constitutional, and apply that ruling to only California, or to the entire nation. On DOMA, the Court could: • Rule that Republican leadership in Congress does not have standing. The Obama administration refused to defend DOMA, declaring it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court could rule that only the President - not the Congress - has the power to defend Federal laws in court. This would have the effect of leaving DOMA on the books, but would revert the case back to the original ruling, granting the plaintiff, Edie Windsor, the tax refund from her wife’s estate. • Uphold DOMA, which would prohibit the Federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in the states. • Strike down Section 3, which is the core of the lawsuit. It is Section 3 that prohibits same-sex spouses from accessing Federal benefits. This would leave intact state bans on recognizing marriages performed elsewhere. •Strike down DOMA in its entirety. This could have the effect of requiring states with marriage bans to recognized marriages performed in other states. What we can say now is this: Keep an eye on our website, and on our state and chapter Facebook pages! Over the next few days, we will be announcing cities and locations where Decision Day events will be held. If you know of another group planning day-of events in your community, please put us in touch with them so we can coordinate our actions. Get ready to unfurl your rainbow flags and make your signs. Let's hope we all have reason to celebrate!