ACLU names major Civil Liberties award recipients
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has announced that the four plaintiffs in the Bishop v. Oklahoma lawsuit — Mary Bishop, Sharon Baldwin, Susan Barton and Gay Phillips — will receive the Angie Debo Civil Liberties Award for their long and potentially landmark fight against Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage.
A reception will be held in the Bell Court Room at the University of Oklahoma Law School at noon on March 29. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Please RSVP to Allie Shinn at ashinn@acluok.org or call 524-8511.
Tulsa couple Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin filed the lawsuit with Susan Barton and Gay Phillips in November 2004, shortly after Oklahoma voters approved a referendum which created an amendment to the state’s constitution banning same-sex marriage. The plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the equal protection clause under the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, because it excluded a certain group from a government benefit.
The award is named in honor of the writer, historian, and civil rights advocate Angie Debo, who relentlessly pursued justice in cooperation with the ACLU of Oklahoma during the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the highest award presented by the ACLU of Oklahoma and has been presented annually since 1971 for outstanding achievement in the fight for civil rights and civil liberties.
The Gaylypreviously announced a meet-and-greet event later the same day at the Chi Gallery, 2300 NW 17th St., in Oklahoma City. That event begins at 4pm, March 29, with a press-only question-and-answer session, followed by the meet-and-greet opportunity from 5-7pm. Cimarron Alliance Equality Center and The Gayly are sponsoring the Chi Gallery event.
The Gayly – March 13, 2014 @ 10am