Position Statement: Regarding the Recent SCOTUS Decision

June 25, 2022

 

Dear Members, Friends, and Supporters of GFBLA, 

 

We, the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles (GFBLA), continue to stand in solidarity with all people across the nation negatively affected by the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, June 24, 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

 

On January 22, 1973, in its Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides a fundamental right to privacy, under which women are protected to make deeply personal choices about their health.  In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), again in the context of women’s health, this fundamental right of an individual’s privacy granted by the Fourteenth Amendment was upheld.  On June 24th, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court overruled this long-held right to privacy protected under the first section of Fourteenth Amendment.

 

The Fourteenth Amendment’s first section has been cited in many Supreme Court cases.  Most notably, under the protections provided in first section of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court ruled to end racial segregation (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954), ruled to protect the liberty of married couples to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction (Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965), ruled in favor of a woman’s right to privacy in making decisions about their health (Roe v. Wade, 1973), ruled that same-sex activity is legal in every U.S. state and territory (Lawrence v. Texas, 2003), and ruled to provide equal rights to marriage for same-sex couples (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015). 

 

With the current Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, overturning nearly four decades of precedent, GFBLA is disappointed and angered by this ruling.  Two of GFBLA’s core values are “Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures'' and “Commitment to Diversity''.  As an organization, GFBLA treats all people with dignity and respect by being aware of and supporting personal perspectives, values, beliefs, and preferences.  It is for this reason that we strongly oppose the decision by the Supreme Court to remove the protections of this fundamental right to choice and privacy.  

 

We also publicly voice our concern that this new interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was used to overturn a previous Supreme Court case, will allow for other rulings from cases that rely on the Fourteenth Amendment, such as Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), to be overturned.

 

One of GFBLA’s other core values is “Service and Stewardship”, where members are encouraged to volunteer their time, talent, and resources to support the cause of GFBLA and its community.  To that end, we encourage all of our members and supporters to volunteer in whatever ways they can to support and protect our community who may be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

 

In Solidarity,

 

GFBLA Board of Directors