Appeal of Wednesday's Marriage Ruling Should Delay Same-Sex Weddings in California
San Francisco (AP) - A judge struck down
California's same-sex marriage ban as a violation of the civil
rights of gay men and lesbians, but a pending appeal of the
landmark ruling could prevent gay weddings from resuming in the
state any time soon.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned the
voter-approved ban known as Proposition 8 Wednesday, declaring that
limiting marriage to a man and a woman serves no legitimate purpose
and is an "artifact" rooted in "unfounded stereotypes and
prejudices."
"This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only
Prop 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define
marriage as one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of
the National Organization for Marriage, which helped fund the 2008
campaign that led to the ban's passage.
Currently, same-sex couples can legally wed only in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C
And as Public Advocate has pointed out in phone calls to over 1 million Americans and in e-mails to over 10 million Americans, these six jurisdictions refused to hold a referendum and ignored any real public process in imposing their attacks on traditional marriage.