"If marriage means everything, it means absolutely
nothing." Dr. James C. Dobson, of Focus on the Family.
"The extension of the Common Benefits Clause to acknowledge
plaintiffs as Vermonters who seek nothing more, nor less, than legal
protection and security for their avowed commitment to an intimate and
lasting human relationship is simply, when all is said and done, a
recognition of our common humanity." Chief Justice Jeffrey L. Amestoy, of the Vermont Supreme Court
in a decision that led to the legalization of civil unions in Vermont.
"A loving man and woman in a committed relationship can marry.
Dogs, no matter what their relationship, are not allowed to marry. How
should society treat gays and lesbians in committed relationships? As dogs
or as humans?" Posting to an Internet mailing list; used by permission
of the author.
"... They went running down the hall of their preschool singing 'Mommy and
Mama are getting married.' And they looked at me with such happy eyes." Comment
by Beth Hillman, a professor at the University of California Hastings
College of the Law in San Francisco, CA after she told her two daughters at
school about the California Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
"As California goes, so goes the nation." Ancient adage of
unknown origin.
Four comments on Proposition 8 which ended the right of same-sex couples to
marry on 2008-NOV-06:
"This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is
Armageddon,” Chuck Colson, Watergate felon and founder of Prison Fellowship
Ministries.
"I call upon Californians who supported Proposition 8 to make an
honest and dedicated effort to learn more about the lives and experiences of
lesbian and gay humanity whose constitutional rights are unfairly targeted
by this measure'." Episcopal Bishop J. Jon Bruno of the Diocese of
Los Angeles.
"It’s more important than the presidential
election. We will not survive [as a nation] if we lose the institution of
marriage." Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council.
"It's bittersweet right now because we just watched the first
African-American president elected. We were watching it with our
African-America son, there were tears coming out of our eyes, and we went to
look at what's happening at [Proposition] 8. We're speechless right now." Jose Ronni Pahl, one of the first same-sex
spouses to be married in Santa Clara County, CA
Overview:
After one proposition, many lawsuits, a pile of bills passed by the Legislature,
and two vetoes by
the governor, the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage on
2008-MAY-14. California became the second state to do so, after Massachusetts.
Same-sex couples began marrying on 2008-JUN-16.
Proposition 8 was voted upon at the 2008-NOV-04 elections. Its intent was to
re-define marriage in California as a special privilege of opposite-sex couples only.
It narrowly passed 53% to 48%. The Supreme Court of California heard oral
arguments on the constitutionality of Prop. 8 on 2009-MAR-05.
As expected, on 2009-MAY-26, it upheld the constitutionality of Prop 8, thus
continuing the current ban on SSM. However, it also ruled that the Proposition
is not retroactive. Thus, same-sex couples who were legally married during 2008
would continue to be considered married.
This decision leaves the marriages of any minority group at danger. Any hate
group who dislikes a particular racial, religious, or other minority can now
raise a proposition in California to eliminate the right of that minority to
marry. If the Proposition is passed by at least 50% of the voters plus one, the
minority would no longer be allowed to marry. Atheists' marriages are at
particular risk, because of the public's high level of dislike and intolerance
of Atheists.