Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Prop 8 Gets Day in Court: March 5th

From the AP report:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court will hear oral arguments early next month in legal challenges to the state's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban.

The state Supreme Court has scheduled a March 5 hearing date for oral arguments in a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8.

Gay couples, several local governments and Attorney General Jerry Brown maintain the ballot initiative, which passed with 52 percent of the vote, is unconstitutional.

If it opts to uphold the measure, the court has said it will also decide whether the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed when gay marriage was legal in California are valid.

After hearing arguments, the court's seven justices will have 90 days in which to issue a ruling.

3 comments:

Pat Klemme said...

Prayers for justice ascend!

IT said...

Oh this is so painful. We are one of th 18,000 couples. We are whipsawed between being Real Married People who are full participants in society and castoff, rejects kicked in the stomach. How do I fill out those forms, you know, for beneficiaries or similar things? Married "for now"? Where do I put the asterisk?

My marriage (which like it or not, the bigots haven't QUITE eliminated) has had absolutely no effect on any one else's marriage but a huge effect on us.

And I deeply, deeply fear that they will eliminate it. THus making me forever unwelcome, de-citizened, outcast, and very, very angry. I'll be very happy to work to eliminate the rights to marriage of any marginalized group who vilely, angrily, unjustly voted against me.

I'm not a Christian. I don't believe in turning the other cheekx to hate.

Erp said...

IT,

It's worst, you've been de-humanized as even two non-citizens can marry as long as they are opposite sex and capable of consent.

I think the CA Supreme Court will be wary of voiding 18,000 marriages. The legal repercussions could be odd (e.g., if a couple got married in California but reside in a different state/country that recognizes same-sex marriage, would that marriage be void).

No matter what happens the tide is moving against the opponents and like Canute they won't be able to turn it back.