Gay Marriage Ban Lifted in California
The California Supreme Court ruled today that the current ban on gay marriage in the state is unconstitutional and overturned the law by a vote of 4-3. The ruling stated that same-sex couples are allowed to marry and declaired the California marriage laws discriminatory.
There was positive support and reaction outside of the courthouse in San Francisco, the site of many of the criticised same-sex weddings in 2004, which led to the ban. Director of National Center for Lesbian Rights was on hand an told reporters, “As of today, the right to marry is now guaranteed to anyone. All I know is that we won.”
Not all of the reactions were supportive, petitions have already been circulating for a ballot initiative in the November election that would allow residents to decide whether or not to amendment in the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage again. Ron Prentice of the California Family Council told reporters that he was very disappointed with today’s ruling. “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,” he said.
