A Victory for Marriage!
California Supreme Court Rules Same-Gender Couples Deserve the Freedom to Marry Under California Law
San Francisco — May 15, 2008: In an historic decision today, the California Supreme Court ruled that same-gender couples deserve the freedom to marry under California law. The landmark ruling makes California the first state in the nation to give lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people full equality. Join us this evening from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the San Diego LGBT Community Center for a Celebration of Love and Equality! To help fight the constitutional amendment that would take away this precious victory in November, please do what you can today, whether it is to donate or volunteer your time!
5/23/08 Marriage victory - what it means for "Don't Ask Don't Tell"
Key Points in the Ruling:
"[R]etaining the designation of marriage exclusively for opposite-sex couples and providing only a separate and distinct designation for same-sex couples may well have the effect of perpetuating a more general premise -- now emphatically rejected by this state -- that gay individuals and same-sex couples are in some respects 'second-class citizens' who may, under the law, be treated differently from, and less favorably than, heterosexual individuals or opposite-sex couples.”
“There can be no question but that, in recent decades, there has been a fundamental and dramatic transformation in this state’s understanding and legal treatment of gay individuals and gay couples,"
"California has repudiated past practices and policies that were based on a once common viewpoint that denigrated the general character and morals of gay individuals, and at one time even characterized homosexuality as a mental illness rather than as simply one of the numerous variables of our common and diverse humanity. This state’s current policies and conduct regarding homosexuality recognize that gay individuals are entitled to the same legal rights and the same respect and dignity afforded all other individuals and are protected from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, and, more specifically, recognize that gay individuals are fully capable of entering into the kind of loving and enduring committed relationships that may serve as the foundation of a family and of responsibly caring for and raising children."
- Chief Justice George of the California State Supreme Court, May 15, 2008
Why Are We Fighting For Marriage Equality?
Current Events in California Anti-LGBT activists from around the nation are focused on California in their efforts to permanently ban same sex couples from the right to get married. Their goal is to pass an initiative for the statewide ballot that would amend the state constitution to prohibit the courts or the legislature from instituting equal access to marriage in California. In part, this is the result of a high profile legal case that is currently pending before the California Supreme Court. The court is expected to rule by late Spring on whether or not there is a constitutional right to marriage for same sex couples.
Marriage equality for same sex couples is described by many as the civil rights battle of the decade. In many ways, it is symbolic of the LGBT community’s quest for full equality in every arena of life. But it is much more than a symbol.
Denying Marriage Equality To Same Sex Couples Is Unfair As Americans, we believe that each of us deserves a fair shake. On a personal level, we work hard to treat others fairly and as a society we have embraced the principle of the equal playing field. But the laws of California treat many of our families, friends and neighbors like second class citizens by denying them access to one of the most treasured and fundamental of society’s institutions – marriage. Domestic partnership does not provide all of the rights and privileges of marriage and it is clearly viewed by society as something “different,” a separate, but not so equal, institution. Two people in a committed, loving, trusting relationship deserve the honor and support that comes with marriage.
Government Should Not Intrude On Private Personal Decisions We do not allow the government to tell us what to read, where to live, or what we can do in the privacy of our own homes. The government should also stay out of the very private and personal decision about whom we choose to marry. It is not right to close the door on marriage for some people.
Ballot Measure In Circulation Could Overturn The Court Ruling Anti-LGBT activists with millions of dollars in financing are currently attempting to pass the so-called California Marriage Protection Act. Read more
