FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEKnowThyNeighbor.orgDirector, Tom LangCell: 978-335-0477
April 27, 2010 Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
KnowThyNeighbor.org, the Massachusetts LGBT Rights Organization that made headlines back in 2005 when Co-Directors Tom Lang of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Aaron Toleos of Boxford became the first to ever publish the names of signers of an initiative petition online in a fully searchable public database, are not only the subject of Wednesday's Supreme Court Hearing on Doe v Reed, but are the reasons for the court challenge.
Back in June of 2009, with much similar strategy as that in the 2005 gay marriage petition here in MA,KnowThyNeighbor.org joined forces with Brian Murphy of WhoSigned.org in Washington State vowing to publish the names of the signers of Washington's Referendum 71 which if it had been successful would have limited domestic partnership rights for same sex couples in that state.
Almost immediately, KnowThyNeighbor.org met the ire of Ref 71's sponsors, Protect Marriage Washington, which began various court challenges blocking Tom Lang's, Aaron Toleos' and Brian Murphy's attempt to acquire the names and addresses of signers of the anti-gay petition. Washington's Open Government Laws require the release of this information to the general public and in state history, the release has never been stopped. Protect Marriage Washington was able to win District Court favor in Washington State which then was challenged and over-turned in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, Protect Marriage Washington caught that attention of the United States Supreme Courtand Doe v Reed will be heard Tomorrow.
Twenty Attorney Generals including Massachusetts have submitted Amicus Briefs on the side of Reed which is the name of Sam Reed, Washington's Secretary of State who ultimately would release the names to the public if the SCOTUS sides with Reed. Local LGBT organizations and National ones submitted Amici also on the side of Reed, including the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, GLAD and Lambda Legal, the latter two, writing to SCOTUS that KnowThyNeighbor's strategy of name posting should be allowed as "Public access to petition records provide a much needed procedural check on Anti-Minority Initiatives" and "an opportunity to lobby the persons who legislate using such measures." . See Amici HERE
Tom Lang, Director of KnowThyNeighbor.org, is concerned deeply about the greater implications of a win for Doe and a loss for Reed. "Wednesday's hearing and subsequent outcome will have a major effect on state election laws nationwide. If the Initiative Petition process is allowed to fall into the shadows of anonymity based on Protect Marriage Washington's false claims of electoral 1st Amendment restrictions, then the general public will have absolutely no ability to scrutinize the process for signature theft or be able to know who and what is behind major public legislative actions. The only ones who will win if signatures are blocked from public access are the multi-million dollar signature gathering companies who dupe signers, forge names and the campaigns that turn a blind eye to this while forcing their agenda on unsuspecting voters."
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