Gay Marriage Victory in California!
Thursday May 15, 2008
California will become the second state in the United States to allow gays and lesbians to marry. In a 4-3 decision announced today, the California Supreme Court has ruled that marriage is a constitutional right that same-sex couples cannot be denied. Marriages can begin in 30 days. Gays and lesbians celebrated outside San Francisco City Hall, where in 2004, gay marriage was deemed legal by the mayor for several weeks before the courts overturned his decision. More than 4,000 couples, including my partner and I were married back in February 2004. Those marriages have since been annulled.
Celebrations are scheduled tonight all over the state of California. The court's decision could be overturned in November, when Californians are likely to vote on a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Anti-gay groups are collecting signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to ban same-sex marriage. If such a measure does pass, it is not known how that will affect those who are married between now and then. Learn more about the California's gay marriage victory here.
© Photo by Kathy Belge
Comments
I am proud to be a Californian today!
When gays and lesbians are denied legal marriage, they are also denied other rights that most of us take for granted — such as the right to transfer and inherit wealth from and to our spouse, make medical decisions for our spouse, and an array of rights concerning child welfare. Same-sex marriage is more than a matter of love, but it is about all adults having the same opportunity for economic and social security; regardless of their sexual orientation.
Forty-one years ago, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia that anti-miscegenation laws, which barred interracial marriage, were misguided and that love is colorblind. I believe that opposition is always strongest right before a breakthrough and that in the next decade many Americans will begin to see that love is also blind to gender. The ruling by the California State Supreme Court is a significant step in the right direction on allowing all adults to form legal marriage relationships. Kudos to the brave Justices who voted to affirm what should be a fundamental right for all adults: the right to share and build a life that is recognized by the law, with whomever you love without regard to gender.
I am waiting for New York to follow suit with California. It should not matter who you love. I am looking forward to the day when we can say “I Do” and it will be legal.