"It is our position in this case that Proposition 8, as upheld by the
California Supreme Court, denies federal constitutional rights under
the equal protection and due process clauses of the constitution,"
Olson said. "The constitution protects individuals' basic rights that
cannot be taken away by a vote.  If the people of California had voted
to ban interracial marriage, it would have been the responsibility of
the courts to say that they cannot do that under the constitution.  We
believe that denying individuals in this category the right to lasting,
loving relationships through marriage is a denial to them, on an
impermissible basis, of the rights that the rest of us enjoy…I also
personally believe that it is wrong for us to continue to deny rights
to individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation."