California Supreme Court Declares Same-Sex Marriages Legal

Sacramento, CA (AHN) - The California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban against same-sex marriages on Thursday, ruling the statutes that declared the practice illegal were unconstitutional. In a 4-3 vote, the state's Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay advocacy groups who had sued the state for not recognizing marriage licenses issued in 2004 by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Chief Justice Ronald George said in the ruling that banning same-sex marriages had "the effect of perpetuating a more general premise - now emphatically rejected by this state - that gay individuals and same-sex couples are in some respects 'second-class citizens' who may, under the law, be treated differently from, and less favorably than, heterosexual individuals or opposite-sex couples," according to the Sacramento Bee.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously vetoed same-sex marriage bills from the state legislature, issued a terse statement saying, "I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling."

The ruling triggered celebrations among homosexual couples and supporters across the state and the nation. The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) hailed the decision and said progress was being made in the LBGT movement.

"This decision is a crucial step in the direction of living up to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that 'all men are created equal.' Today the state of California took one giant leap forward in realizing the vision of one America," NBJC Executive Director and CEO H. Alexander Robinson told AHN. "We stand at a pivotal point in LGBT history between discrimination and progress with NBJC pushing the envelope forward every day."

Opposition groups said they would continue to work to have same-sex unions banned. Family Council Executive Director Ron Prentice is quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying, "with the November ballot we will have the opportunity for the people of California to once again define marriage as only between a man and a woman and this time place it into California's constitution which would strengthen it and keep it out of the hands of the courts."

The Family Council is planning on holding a referendum in the fall to amend the state Constitution and declare same-sex marriages illegal.