'In the blink of an eye more than 3,000 committed couples are now strangers under law,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON - Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese expressed deep disappointment today in an Oregon Supreme Court ruling nullifying more than 3,000 marriages of same-sex couples performed in Multnomah County in 2004. Solmonese made the following statement:

&quotIn the blink of an eye more than 3,000 committed couples are now strangers under law. Today is an incredibly sad day for fairness and equality in Oregon. But tomorrow the fight will continue.

&quotStruggles to end inequality do not succeed overnight. This is the latest chapter in a long movement, and we feel confident that Oregon courts will eventually put an end to the exclusion of committed same-sex couples from the protections and responsibilities that other Oregonians depend on.

&quotOur faith in justice, however, is overshadowed by the sadness we feel knowing that yesterday these couples had full equality and today they have no security under law. We are committed to working with our members and allies in Oregon to continue to have a conversation about equality and fairness under the law. We'll work to ensure that the couples whose marriages have been painfully revoked will live to see justice another day.&quot

While the Oregon Supreme Court nullified the marriages already performed, the court did not rule on the question of civil unions, saying this case did not address that issue.