HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupport Letter - ACA 5 (Low) - 04.14.2023REPORT TITLE A HOUSE DIVIDED
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April 14, 2023
The Honorable Evan Low
California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Room 6110
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support for ACA 5 – Marriage Equality
Dear Assemblymember Low:
The City of Cupertino is pleased to support Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA)
5, which would amend the California Constitution relating to marriage equality.
According to the 2020 census, California has the most same-sex couples living together than
any state, almost 135,900, of which roughly 85,100 are married. In addition, with Senate Bill
179 (Chapter 853, Statutes of 2017) allowing for the third gender category of non-binary to
be added to legal documents in the state since 2019, it is important to expand the legal
definition of marriage within our constitution beyond that of only the union between man
and woman.
LGBTQ+ individuals are already subjected to many forms of discrimination and
marginalization, leading to heightened rates of mental illness, suicidality, hate crimes,
homicides, homelessness, poverty, and more. In addition, since 2022, the LGBTQ+
community has remained the target of over 300 bills introduced across the country,
intending to strip them of their rights and visibility.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court published its decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s
Health Organization case, which overturned the court’s previous rulings in Roe v. Wade and
Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania. If the Supreme Court rules to overturn the
precedents set in Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex marriages in California could be at risk. In
addition, a constitutional provision that purports to deny a fundamental right to LGBTQ+
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individuals is inconsistent with the values of equality and human dignity that the State of
California should strives to uphold.
ACA 5 would amend the California Constitution relating to marriage equality to protect
the rights of LGBTQ+ Californians. The California Constitution should recognize LGBTQ+
individuals in Cupertino and throughout the state as equal under the law.
For these reasons, the City of Cupertino supports ACA 5.
Sincerely,
Hung Wei
Mayor, City of Cupertino
cc: Senator Dave Cortese
Assemblymember Evan Low