Schwarzenegger: Marriage Equality Will Happen One Day

May 26, 2009 by James Hipps

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated earlier today that it’s only a matter of time before same-sex marriages are legal and recognized in the state.

Although Schwarzenegger did not say whether or not he agrees with the state’s Supreme Court decision handed down earlier today that upholds Proposition 8, he did state he believes voters, or the courts will end marriage discrimination one day.

Schwarzenegger did however applauded the court’s decision to allow the 18,000 same-sex couple who did wed prior to November to stay legally married. He stated:

"While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage, as governor of California I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court. Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8’s passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact.” gayagenda.com

California high court upholds

same-sex marriage ban

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- California's highest court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages Tuesday but allowed about 18,000 unions performed before the ban to remain valid.

Supporters of November ballot initiative Proposition 8 hailed the ruling, but about 1,000 advocates of same-sex marriages who gathered outside the court building in San Francisco met the 6-1 decision with chants of "Shame on you."

Following the ruling, supporters of same-sex marriage took to the streets to protest.

CNN affiliate KGO reported that after the opinion was made public lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender officers were brought in specifically to help manage the crowd.

During those protests 159 adults and three juveniles were arrested and cited for jaywalking, San Francisco Police Department Sgt. Lyn Tomioka told CNN.

Similar rallies were held Tuesday evening in Los Angeles, where 3,500 to 5,000 protesters took part, according to police estimates. There were no arrests, said Julianne Sohn of the Los Angeles Police Department.

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Father Geoff Farrow

TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009

"Separate but Equal" upheld in California"

Today’s ruling is profoundly disappointing. As California State Supreme Court, Justice Moreno noted in his eloquent dissent: "I realize, of course, that the right of gays and lesbians to marry in this state has only lately been recognized.  But that belated recognition does not make the protection of those rights less important.  Rather, that the right has only recently been acknowledged reflects an age-old prejudice that makes the safeguarding of that right by the judiciary all the more critical …

Proposition 8 represents an unprecedented instance of a majority of voters altering the meaning of the equal protection clause by modifying the California Constitution to require deprivation of a fundamental right on the basis of a suspect classification.  The majority’s holding is not just a defeat for same-sex couples, but for any minority group that seeks the protection of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution". 

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TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009

As California Court Upholds Proposition 8, Parents and Allies Vow to Continue Work for Marriage Equality

In response to a ruling today from the California Supreme Court, which upheld Proposition 8, an anti-marriage equality amendment passed in November 2008, PFLAG National announced that the organization would continue work in the state to educate voters, work with lawmakers and secure full marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples. The court’s ruling, which will allow marriages performed in the state during a brief period last year to remain legal, will likely be a rallying cry for supporters of marriage equality around the country, the organization said.

“Today’s ruling is out-of-step with a growing consensus in our country that all loving couples should be treated equally in the eyes of the law,” said Jody M. Huckaby, PFLAG’s executive director. “It is also a reminder that, even in places where we have traditionally seen progress on equality, there is still work that remains to be done. Today, the California Supreme Court has dealt a blow to our families, but tomorrow, PFLAG’s 41 California chapters will be back on the job, working in their communities to build support for moving marriage equality forward.” Read complete article on PFLAG

About PFLAG

PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

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The More People Talk About Marriage Equality, the Faster Public Support Grows

BY MICHAEL A. JONES

CATEGORIES: GAY MARRIAGE, MARRIAGE EQUALITY

PUBLISHED MAY 26, 2009 @ 02:14PM PT

Isn't that a great line? It's one of the tenets put forward in the YouTube clip below from Stop8.org, released this afternoon after the California State Supreme Court announced their decision on Prop 8. As they point out in the clip, "Even when the news is bad, it's still a great time to start conversations. And each conversation brings us closer to winning the fight."

Maybe that's the central lesson of today...despite the anger many feel today, marriage equality will come to California, and it will come because ordinary, every day people are talking about LGBT people, and talking about same-sex marriage.  Check out the video below from stop8.org, and definitely heed their call to tell everyone you know why you support marriage equality.  It's those conversations that will change this country.


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Reprinted with permission of Michael Jones