California's high court to review legality of Proposition 8
Thu. November 20, 2008 12:00 AM by Kevin Wayne
San Fransico, CA -
California's highest court has agreed to hear legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage that was approved by voters on November 4.
The California Supreme Court accepted three lawsuits seeking to nullify Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment overruling the same court's decision in May that opened the way to gay marriage.
But the court has refused to suspend the ban that has brought an abrupt halt to gay marriages in the state while it considers the issue.
18,000 couples have tied the knot since same-sex marriage was legalised in June following the court's ruling that it was discriminatory to prohibit gay men and lesbians from marrying.
Gay-rights advocates maintain that Californians can not strip rights from a minority with only a majority-approved constitutional amendment.
The court said it would hear arguments on whether Proposition 8 violated the state's separation-of-powers doctrine.
Since the passage of Proposition 8, thousands have protested California's same-sex ban. This past Saturday, over 2,000 protested on Chicago's Federal Plaza and marched through downtown as part of the National Day of Protest. (Full Story)
Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only states that allow same-sex marriages.
The California Supreme Court accepted three lawsuits seeking to nullify Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment overruling the same court's decision in May that opened the way to gay marriage.
But the court has refused to suspend the ban that has brought an abrupt halt to gay marriages in the state while it considers the issue.
18,000 couples have tied the knot since same-sex marriage was legalised in June following the court's ruling that it was discriminatory to prohibit gay men and lesbians from marrying.
Gay-rights advocates maintain that Californians can not strip rights from a minority with only a majority-approved constitutional amendment.
The court said it would hear arguments on whether Proposition 8 violated the state's separation-of-powers doctrine.
Since the passage of Proposition 8, thousands have protested California's same-sex ban. This past Saturday, over 2,000 protested on Chicago's Federal Plaza and marched through downtown as part of the National Day of Protest. (Full Story)
Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only states that allow same-sex marriages.