Another victory! A California state judge ruled yesterday that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, thus overturning a proposition passed in 2000 defining marriage as between a man and woman.
Judge Richard A. Kramer of San Francisco County Superior Court said "the denial of marriage to same-sex couples appears impermissibly arbitrary," thus violating the equal protection clause of the state's Constitution.
According to the New York Times, Judge Kramer's ruling "left no argument against same-sex marriage unexamined, and virtually no glimmer of light for the attorney general's office or the other groups that filed briefs in support of current state law". Whoo-hoo!
The judge compared some of the arguments made by same-sex marriage opponents to those made in cases dealing with interracial marriage laws. "The idea that marriage-like rights without marriage is adequate smacks of a concept long rejected by the courts," he wrote, "separate but equal."
New York Times story here; gay.com story here.
This is especially exciting because I know this is a fight we are going to win. Full citizenship for gay Americans is coming. Like all freedom movements, it faces many obstacles, but it will not be stopped.
4 comments:
I can already hear the chorus from the Christian Right, "It's all because of those damned Canadians, socialized medicine, gun control, gay marriage. They hate America!"
And don't forget marijuana. Gateway to all evils.
Being a Canuck, I normally love to soapbox about how tolerant Canada is to gay marriage. But I find Canadian politics to be truly indicitave of being the US's bitch. Seems like whatever Bush idealizes our own politicians attempt to mimic up here. It's sadly pathetic. And WHY ? WHY do we do this ? It's not like the United States is the only country to trade with, establish a quote unquote relationship with, is it ? I await the day when the religious freaks that apparently have the deepest financial pockets are politically neutered. It disgusts me that they are even ABLE to finance political movements, support political causes, campaigns and agendas.
Religion does NOT belong anywhere NEAR our laws and legislations. Religion is a PRIVATE and PERSONAL choice.
Apparently church and state never really divorced... they're still fuck buddies and use each other when it's convenient.
AMEN.
I'm with you all the way on separation of church and state, but are the zealots really a serious force up there? Or are they just a minority voicing their opinion (and trying to influence govt) the way any minority does?
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