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The next clash will come Tuesday in ongoing battle for same-
sex marriage rights in California./Sabatini photo.
The California Supreme Court posted on its Web site today that the ruling on the legality of same-sex marriage in the state will be issued on Tuesday.
On March 5, amid noisy, often clashing demonstrations from both sides of the issue, the Court heard an appeal to overturn a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Advocates said the civil rights of gay couples should not be subjected to majority rule and that the measure that defines marriage as only between one man and one woman was unconstitutional.
Famed prosecutor Ken Starr argued on behalf of Proposition 8 urging the justices to let the will of the voters stand.
The Justices ruled just over a year ago that the original ban on same-sex marriage in California was unconstitutional, which allowed more than 18,000 gay couples to wed between May and the election in November. The Justices' ruling on Tuesday will also say whether those marriages will remain valid even if they rule that marriage ban will remain in effect.
A"ny ruling that upholds Prop 8 will be a terrible blow to the thousands of LGBT Californians who have the same hopes and dreams for their families as others," wrote Kate Kendall of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Same-sex marriage activists have organized "Day of Decision" rallies throughout the country in hopes of celebrating if the justices overturn the ban, or protesting the discrimination against gays and lesbians if the Justices allow it.
San Francisco, where the Justices meet and Ground Zero in California's fight for same-sex marriage, will hold its rally outside of the state Justice building at the Civic Center, before marching to Yerba Buena Gardens for a rally. See details here.
Monday may be a vacation, but come Tuesday, this issue will again return to a full-scale fight.
By the way, today would have been Harvey Milk's 79th birthday. A ceremony this afternoon is being held by San Francisco legislators Mark Leno and Tom Ammiano.
For more stories on same-sex marriage battles across the country, click here.
More California Statehouse News:
- Voting conspiracy surfaces over American Idol winner.
- Allen over Lambert in Idol election.
- Day after election is just another day.
- Recall push again aimed at governor.
- One year ago today: gay marriages legal in Calif.
Comments
What was attempted with Prop. 8 was to define a word. "Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman." We had to vote on this? It’s the definition in my dictionary for heaven's sake. Sure, history has shown marriage has been between different ages, races, numbers of people, etc. But it has always been between a man and a woman. The problem is that marriage is an exclusionary and discriminating word. It describes a relationship, one that our gov. happens to recognize. Everyone has a
To continue... Everyone has access to this relationship and legal recognition of it, but homosexual individuals don't like the marriage relationship. They want recognition for their own relationships. They are demanding that everyone be forced to equate heterosexual family (or parental) relationships to homosexual ones.
Before we try to please and placate, we need to ask ourselves why gov. should recognize marriage in the first place. If you are one that believes we should just call all c
Jen,
I wrote about those that advocated the idea to simply remove marriage from the civil services and make all legal relationship domestic partnerships, leaving marriage to religious and/or cultural organizations to define as they wish. Neither side likes this idea, especially the conservative right as it would take away their marriages as well. See my earlier post on this topic, "California heterosexual couples can spur marriage..."
It's gone too far, and become too politicized for that to b
Dear Jen,
I am homosexual and I like the marriage relationship.
&
Not all heterosexual families are parental in nature.
&
While I value your opinion, please don't speak for me, speak only for yourself.
Thanks.
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