The past months have left an indelible print on the issue of civil rights in America.  After the gay marriage ban passed in California, the issue of gay marriage was once again thrust into the mainstream conversation.

The California Supreme Court upheld the proposition on Tuesday, at the same time protecting the 18,000 marriages which occurred when gay marriage was briefly considered legal.  In the wake of the legal decision, which will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court, two well-known, partisan civil rights attorneys have joined together to file a Federal lawsuit against Prop 8.
The two lawyers, Theodore Olson (a former US Solicitor General under President Bush), and David Boies have joined together in a lawsuit on behalf of two same-sex couples that were denied marriage licenses due to the proposition.  They want an immediate injunction on Prop 8 until the court cases, which will effectively keep the law from taking effect.

“We are fighting this case together because Proposition 8 clearly and fundamentally violates the freedoms guaranteed to all of us by the Constitution,” Boies said. “Every American has a right to full equality under the law—same-sex couples are entitled to the same marriage rights as straight couples. Any alternative is separate and unequal and relegates gays and lesbians to a second-class status.”

The two have previously fought against each other in another famous case: the Bush vs. Gore electoral battle, in which Boies represented Vice President Gore against Olson who represented President, Bush.

Olson was sought out by a newly formed organization,  the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and then asked Boies to join him. Their teaming up is particularly symbolic, considering how partisan the gay rights issue has become in recent years.
To Boies and Olson, the issue of civil rights for all people transcends party lines.

“It’s not about liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. We’re here in part to symbolize that.” Olson said. “This case is about the equal rights guaranteed to every American under the United States constitution.”