The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage, but also ruled that gay couples who wed before the election will continue to be legally married under state law.
The decision ensures another fight at the ballot box over marriage rights. Equality supporters in California said they may ask voters to repeal the ban as early as next year, and opponents have pledged to fight that effort. Proposition 8 passed with only 52% of the vote.
Gay rights supporters will protest the decision in over 100 US cities tonight, including Anchorage.
"No civil rights movement has EVER lost. It is not a matter of IF our community will win full equal rights, including marriage. It is only a matter of WHEN. But as in all civil rights movements, we will have to fight like hell for it," stated Robin Tyler, the lead petitioner in the case to overturn Prop 8.
In response to the decision, Alaskans Together for Equality wrote: "We believe that the option to get married is a basic human right. Gay and Lesbian Americans should have the same access to marriage and associated rights as other citizens. We are disappointed that the California Supreme Court has let a narrow majority of citizens vote to take away rights from a minority group. The State Constitution and Court System are supposed to prevent such a tyranny of the majority injustice."
Same-sex marriage was legal in California for almost 6 months before Prop 8 passed. Gay marriages are currently legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa and Maine, and may become legal in New Hampshire and New York later this year.
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