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Same-sex marriage ban remains in California
By: Nigel Robinson
Gay marriage still illegal in California
Gay marriage still illegal in California
Gay marriage stays banned in California but the fight goes on
That was the judgment of the Californian Supreme Court on Tuesday who voted 6-1 not to overturn Proposition 8 which, since November last year, has defined marriage as being only between a man and a woman.
However, the estimated 18,000 gay couples who were married before Proposition 8 came into law will remain married.
When the judgment was announced a group of demonstrators shouted “Shame on you” outside San Francisco City Hall where only last year it had been ruled that to deny same-sex couples the right to marry was unconstitutional.
One of the plaintiffs, Jeannie Rizzo, 62 said: "It's not about whether we get to stay married. Our fight is far from over.
“I have about twenty years left on this earth, and I'm going to continue to fight for equality every day."
California State Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he would uphold the Court’s decision, while at the same time recognising the inevitability of same-sex marriage.
“While I believe that one day either the people or the courts will recognise gay marriage, I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court,” he said.
“Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8’s passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact.”
Gay marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.
