Same-sex marriage is now legal in California

update The order’s currently stayed, so we’re not there yet


So, it’s official: Vermont is no longer cooler than California.

Full text of decision here.  

I never thought, for a minute in my life, I would be thanking Ted Olsen for anything.

Another link (hat tip Daily Kos): New York News

Also, in fairly hilarious news, apparently the Prop 8 supporters wanted this ruling stayed so as not to put gay couples through extra pain.  

3 thoughts on “Same-sex marriage is now legal in California

  1. California’s not cooler than Vermont because we got there through our legislature and a veto override.

    Had a good 5-minute woo-hoo session in the car when the news broke — about all the PropH8ers allowed before the stay went into effect.

    A long-time friend in California called in the middle of her work day to celebrate the ruling and the fact that it prompted her long-time lover to propose.

    We’ll get to equality eventually, even if we have to drag every right wing evangelical hate group and their pet politicians in every last anti-equality, anti-America, anti-Constitution  state in the union through the courts again and again.

    Next question: will the Tea Baggers use this ruling to stir up their followers? Next answer, in the uppermidwest-ese of their most visible half-term champion: You betcha!

    VT Freedom to marry celebrated Gay Pride a couple of weekends ago with signs showing the flags of the ten countries and five US states plus DC where marriage equality for same-sex couples is the law of the land. Too bad the US flag was not among them.

    I called in to the special screened number for the Dr. Dan Freilich / Sen. Patrick Leahy “debate” on VPR’s Vermont Edition Wednesday to ask whether both men would work to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. The question never aired.

    NanuqFC

    The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men [and women]. ~ SCOTUS, Loving v. Virginia (1967)

    The rights of Canadians who belong to a minority group must always be protected by virtue of their status as citizens, regardless of their numbers. These rights must never be left vulnerable to the impulses of the majority. ~ Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, 2005

  2. Several State Supreme Courts have decided that laws forbidding same sex marriage violates state constitutions.  The electorate response has been to amend the constitutions.  Now a federal judge, like his state counterparts has done what Judges are supposed to do – protect unpopular minorities from discrimination so that all of us have the protection of the law.  Only a judges, probably Supreme Court Justices, can overrule this one.  I fear the conservatives will come up with some nonsensical rationale, and put out a 5-4 decision to allow discrimination.  Lets hope they do the right thing.  Lets also reelect Obama and hope he gets another appointment.

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