Washington, D.C.---October 13, 1998--- The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday let stand a U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upholding a 1993 anti-gay ballot initiative in Cincinnati.

The Court refused to hear the case Equality Foundation of Greater Cincinnati v. Cincinnati, thereby allowing homophobic Issue 3 to take effect.

Cincinnati's ballot measure Issue 3 amended the city's charter to prohibit civil rights laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It was approved by voters in 1993 after a divisive campaign.

When the Court struck down a similar Colorado provision in Romer v. Evans, it sent the Issue 3 case back to the Sixth Circuit for reconsideration. The Sixth Circuit disregarded the Romer decision and upheld Issue 3.

Tuesday, the Court refused to hear an appeal to that decision, allowing the discriminatory measure to take effect.

The following statement is attributable to Kerry Lobel, executive director of NGLTF:

"Today the U. S. Supreme Court allowed equality to take a back seat to homophobia. It is unconscionable that the Court would allow this ruling to stand and refuse to act on behalf of all Americans.

All Americans deserve to live free from violence and discrimination. We will ultimately defeat the right-wing's broad anti-democratic agenda that seeks to deny basic rights for GLBT people."