The LGBTQIA+ community has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 70s. Over almost 50 years, the community has been able to fight discrimination in waves. Whether it was discrimination from wedding officiants in OKC or employers and their peers, they have seen it all.
But not only have they seen this discrimination, but they have also been able to weather the storm through their tenacity and willingness for change. More importantly, it was a major factor that helped them fight discrimination lawsuits. Specifically, they would challenge discrimination in court, sending in a process server OKC to the discriminating party.
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The LGBTQIA+ Community’s Right to Marriage
The struggle for equal marriage rights for the community continues today, as many still struggle to gain acceptance in the wedding industry. Wedding officiants in Oklahoma and other states have sometimes refused to provide services to same-sex couples, despite the monumental decision by the Supreme Court in 2015.
Possibly the biggest win for the community, the 2015 Supreme Court ruling officially recognized gay marriage as a constitutional right. Therefore, states that would not allow the LGBTQIA+ community to marry were withholding their constitutional rights from them.
Of course, process servers were working overtime before the monumental decision of 2015, where they were challenging state and city laws in court. Through their combined efforts, they ensured that states with over 70% of the US population had accepted gay marriage.
In cases for the right to marry for the LGBTQIA+ community, process servers were also working hard during the famous Baehr v. Mike case in Hawaii. It was a monumental case for its time, almost taking a full decade to come to a close.
The couples in that lawsuit were suing the state of Hawaii. Since the state constitution did not explicitly ban same-sex unions, the case gained much ground. In 1996, the Clinton administration passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which greatly slowed the case’s pace. And by 1998, the state itself had passed another amendment, which became the basis for the case’s dismissal in 1999.
So even though the couples were not able to win this case, it was still a step in the right direction for the community.
Other Important LGBTQIA+ Cases in the Supreme Court
Of course, besides the right to marry cases, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have had to fight for much more. One of the first-ever clashes against discrimination came in One, Inc. V. Olesen.
One, Inc. was the first-ever LGBTQIA+ publication in the US. The magazine’s additions were full of short stories, editorials, articles, and other content popular in magazines. People saw it as a very controversial piece of media in the early 1950s, specifically for its content.
However, the Los Angeles Postal Authorities seized the October and August editions of the magazine. The authorities doing so was that these editions violated obscenity laws. With the help of process servers in Oklahoma, the publication took this claim to court. And in a lower court’s ruling by the Supreme Court, they defended the publication’s right to free speech.
The court argued that content aimed at gay people was not obscene by default. This decision later helped change the narrative around community members, as the editorials featured real stories and events surrounding them.
Romer V. Evan Equal Protection Clauses
The right to equal protection within the US is a constitutional right. However, laws in Colorado would ban cities from making anti-discrimination laws against members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Therefore, technically speaking, before the ruling of this case, discrimination against gay people was allowed.
Of course, even people from outside the community saw this as a major problem, and allies had come together to help gay people fight this case. When the case surrounding the law went to court, the almost instant 6 – 3 verdict was surprising. The court ruled that the amendment singling out community members violated an individual’s constitutional right for protection in the US, guaranteed by the 14th amendment.
The court also ruled that not only did the law prohibit gay people from special rights, but it also put them in a greater disability. They could not seek legal help for the discrimination they were facing, which made the law significantly more hostile than it needed to be.
Following the ruling, lawsuits against discrimination started reaching record highs in various cities in Colorado. And with the help of process servers, people were able to fight for their constitutional rights.
Lawrence v. Texas
In 2003, sodomy laws, a very dark chapter in America’s war against homosexuality, finally met their end with the Supreme Court ruling of 6 – 3. The ruling defended an individual’s constitutional right to engage in private and intimate conduct without facing any government intervention.
In 1986, the Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling on sodomy laws. Not only did they uphold these laws, in fact, they explicitly singled out individuals who were from the community. They did so despite the original lawmaking no such distinction.
After the 2003 ruling, all sodomy laws violated individuals’ privacy and were removed from every state. It was also an important case because it was the first case where the court recognized an individual’s right to intimate conduct.
Find the Right Process Server in Oklahoma City to Represent You
Process servers in OKC are much more than just people who deliver legal notices to a legal party. Instead, they are skilled in finding the people who are difficult to locate and have the legal knowledge to work with a team of lawyers to construct legal notices. We offer a wide range of notary and process server services to individuals who need them and take special care in cases of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.
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