The Fall of Prop. 8 - Marriage Equality at the U.S. Supreme Court
Kris Perry & Sandy Stier were the lead plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court case Hollingsworth v. Perry, the federal challenge to California’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Perry and Stier first tried to marry in 2004, when the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. But that marriage was revoked under court order. Four years later, shortly after California’s Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry, the Proposition 8 ballot initiative passed, changing the state constitution to limit marriage. When a legal team seeking to challenge Prop 8 approached Perry and Stier to be plaintiffs, they agreed, signing on to a case that would include a 12-day trial, making its way through district and appellate courts before finally appearing before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Off the legal circuit, Perry and Stier lead active professional lives. Perry is the executive director of the First Five Years Fund, which works to bring resources and support to parents, caregivers, and professionals to ensure children grow up healthy and ready to succeed in school and in life. Stier is a senior health policy advisor and advocate for delivering health care services to the public generally, and vulnerable populations in particular. She currently works at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., where she leads efforts to achieve better results in integrated health systems.
Perry and Stier will talk about their legal and personal journey toward marriage equality.
View Video: YouTube with Kris Perry and Sandy Stier