Olympia, Wash., Apr 22, 2010 / 02:58 am
In an effort to prevent traditional marriage supporters from being targeted and harassed, lawyers in Washington state have filed a brief with the Supreme Court to keep the personal information of over 138,000 people private. Arguments will be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court on April 28.
Protect Marriage Washington filed the brief in the case of Doe #1 v. Reed after the Washington Secretary of State, Sam Reed, sought to release the names, addresses and other information of thousands of individuals who signed a referendum petition in the state opposing same-sex “marriage.”
James Bopp Jr., lead counsel for Protect Marriage Washington, said that traditional marriage supporters whose names were publicized have endured death threats, physical violence and property damage in the state of Washington and across the county. He also asserted that the Washington Secretary of State plans to release the names to groups who have stated their intent to post the information on the internet, aiding those who wish to harass petitioners.
The groups WhoSigned.org and KnowThyNeighbor.org announced last June that they intend to post the names of petition supporters online. The groups explained that they expect individuals to contact the signers for what could be uncomfortable talks about gay “marriage.”