I can’t believe it’s taken until 2008 for this to happen, but today The California Supreme Court has (finally) ruled that same-sex couples should be permitted to marry in the state of California. The court ruled that banning same-sex marriage was discriminatory and rejected state marriage laws.
The state high court’s 4-3 ruling was unlikely to end the debate over gay matrimony in California. A group has circulated petitions for a November ballot initiative that would amend the state Constitution to block same-sex marriage, while the Legislature has twice passed bills to authorize gay marriage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed both.
The long-awaited court opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, stemmed from San Francisco’s highly publicized same-sex weddings, which in 2004 helped spur a conservative backlash in a presidential election year and a national dialogue over gay rights.
The decision was met with mixed responses.
One couple that has been together for 34 years stated that:
“This feels good for us. But I can’t imagine what it means for all those young couples with their entire lives ahead of them.”
A few feet away, Kate Kendell, executive director of National Center for Lesbian Rights, was mobbed by reporters and well-wishers.
“As of today, the right to marry is now guaranteed to anyone,” she said. “All I know is that we won.”
Opponents of same-sex-marriage had a much different reaction.
Ron Prentice, executive director of the Sacramento and Riverside-based California Family Council, said the group was “not surprised by the ruling, though extremely disappointed.”
He said the group expects “that with the November ballot we will have the opportunity for the people of California to once again define marriage as only between a man and a woman and this time place it into California’s constitution which would strengthen it and keep it out of the hands of the courts.”
“We have not been able to count on the legislature or the courts of California to adhere to the will of the people,” Prentice said. “This is yet another example why the people need to go to the polls in November to defend the historic and natural definition of marriage.”
So what do you think?
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2 responses so far ↓
1 dave // May 15, 2008 at 6:02 pm
That would be the California Supreme Court…not THE Supreme Court. Important step though!
2 Mali // May 15, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Good point, well made…Thankfully I have the power to edit!
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