From Chris Geidner at Law Dork:

The news today has come from San Francisco that U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has denied the request of several LGBT community groups in California — represented by the ACLU, Lambda Legal and NCLR — to intervene in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger lawsuit challenging the constitutional validity of Proposition 8.

Judge Walker did, however, grant the request of the City of San Francisco to intervene.  According to Lambda Legal’s Jason Howe, the judge “said they showed a government interest that wasn’t represented by any of the current parties.”

Additionally, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a new organization created for this lawsuit, has announced that Judge Walker has set the trial in the case for January 11, 2010.  That represents a very quick trial, in terms of federal court timelines, and will keep the parties very busy over the coming months.

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The release from the LGBT legal organizations:

LGBT Community Groups Disappointed By Court’s Denial To Join Federal Prop 8 Case

SAN FRANCISCO — Today Judge Vaughn R. Walker of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco denied the request of Our Family Coalition; Lavender Seniors of the East Bay; and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to join Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Proposition 8.

A statement by Lambda Legal, the ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

On behalf of our clients, we are disappointed that the court did not permit organizations that represent California’s diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community to participate in the case as the Court weighs the harms inflicted by Proposition 8. The significance of this case for our entire community is enormous. To exclude the people whose very freedom is at stake is troubling. Our commitment to restoring marriage for all Californians is unwavering, and we will continue to do everything within our power to secure full equality and justice for LGBT people.

More to come . . .