Twitter icon


Facebook icon

About this site
About us
Our beliefs
Is this your first visit?
Contact us
External links

Recommended books

Visitors' essays
Our forum
New essays
Other features
Buy a CD of this site
Vital notes

World religions
BUDDHISM
CHRISTIANITY
Christian def'n
 Shared beliefs
 Handling change
 Bible topics
 Bible inerrancy
 Bible harmony
 Interpret the Bible
 Persons
 Beliefs & creeds
 Da Vinci code
 Revelation 666
 Denominations
HINDUISM
ISLAM
JUDAISM
WICCA / WITCHCRAFT
Other religions
Cults and NRMs
Comparing Religions

Non-theistic beliefs
Atheism
Agnosticism
Humanism
Other

About all religions
Main topics
Basic information
Gods & Goddesses
Handling change
Doubt & security
Quotes
Movies
Confusing terms
Glossary
End of the World?
True religion?
Seasonal events
Science vs. Religion
More information

Spiritual/ethics
Spirituality
Morality & ethics
Absolute truth

Peace/conflict
Attaining peace
Religious tolerance
Religious freedom
Religious hatred
Religious conflict
Religious violence

"Hot" topics
Very hot topics
Ten Commandments
Abortion access
Assisted suicide
Cloning
Death penalty
Environment

Same-sex marriage

Homosexuality
Human rights
Gays in the military
Nudism
Origins
Sex & gender
Sin
Spanking
Stem cells
Transexuality
Women-rights
Other topics

Laws and news
Religious laws
Religious news

Sponsored links

 

Web site logo

Same-sex marriage (SSM), civil
unions, & domestic partnerships

Menu

California

horizontal rule

Sponsored link.

horizontal rule



The animated flag is courtesy of 3DFlags.com

horizontal rule

Quotations:

bullet "If marriage means everything, it means absolutely nothing." Dr. James C. Dobson, of Focus on the Family.

bullet "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.

bullet "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.

bullet "... 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.

bullet "As California goes, so goes the nation." Ancient adage of unknown origin.

bullet Four comments on Proposition 8 that ended the right of same-sex couples to marry on 2008-NOV-06:
bullet "This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is Armageddon," Chuck Colson, Watergate felon and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
bullet "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.
bullet "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.
bullet "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

horizontal rule

Summary of recent activity:

Same-sex marriages (SSMs) became available in California from 2008-MAY unil election day in 2008-NOV. On the latter date, Proposition 8 was narrowly passed by a public vote. It prohibits future SSMs in California. However, those SSMs solemnized between MAY and election day of 2008 remain valid.

This event is one more example for same-sex couples who want to get married. If marriage equality is achieved in your state, you might want to get married with all possible speed. There is absolutely no guarantee that this right will still be available next year, next month, or even on the next day.

The constitutionaliy of Prop. 8 is being challenged in the federal court system. Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8 is clearly unconstitutional on a number of grounds. The proponents of Prop. 8 are now attempting to appeal Judge Walker's ruling in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The first day of hearings was Monday, 2010-DEC-06. An attempt to vacate Judge Walker's ruling because he is gay was rejected.

The California Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the official proponents of Prop. 8 -- ProtectMarriage.com -- have the legal standing to attempt to defend it. The court decided that they did. This was a critical decision because the Governor and Attorney General of California who clearly have legal standing have refused to defend Prop. 8's constitutionality.

David Boies is co-counsel in the federal case that challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8. During 2011-OCT, he predicted that his case and one of the 12 or so lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of DOMA would probably arrive at the U.S. Supreme Court for consideration during its 2012-OCT term. He said: "I think that’s probably when both cases get there and I suspect they’ll consolidate them for argument." 1 The DOMA law overturned more than two centuries of tradition by stating that the federal government would not recognize marriages legally solemnized in states and registered there if the spouses were of the same gender.

Latest developments:

  • On 2011-DEC-09, both sides argued their case before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • On 2012-FEB-07, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Proposition 8 -- the citizen intiative that terminated SSM in California -- to be unconstitutional.

horizontal rule

The following topics are covered in this section:

The recognition of same-sex relationships (or lack thereof) by the government, courts and the public:

horizontal rule

Path 1: 1999 to 2007: Unsuccessful attempts towards marriage equality through the Legislature:

bullet 1999 - 2001: Bills AB-26 & AB-25 (Few benefits granted) and AB-1338 (Civil unions; unsuccessful).
bullet 2003: Bill AB-205 the "Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act."
bullet 2004: Marriages in San Francisco: 29 days of marriage equality.
bullet 2004: Bill AB 1967 the "Gender-Neutral Marriage Act." (withdrawn)
bullet 2005: Bill AB 19, the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act" (unsuccessful)
bullet 2005: Bill AB 849, the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act." (Passed the Senate and Assembly. Vetoed by the governor.)
bullet 2007: Bill AB 43, the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act" (Passed the Senate and Assembly. Vetoed by the governor.)

horizontal rule

Path 2: 2004 to 2008: Temporarily successful attempt towards marriage equality through the courts:

bullet Lawsuits launched to permit same-sex couples to marry (2004-2005).
bullet Court cases consolidated
bullet Same-sex marriage authorized: (2008-MAY-14)
bullet Reactions to the first same-sex marriages

horizontal rule

Path 3: 2008 to now: Proposition 8: Banning SSM via citizen initiative & the state Constitution:

bullet Amendments to ban same-sex marriage by VoteYesMarriage.com and Protect Marriage.com
bullet Prop. 8 approved for 2008-NOV vote
bullet Attempts to stall & rewrite Prop. 8
bullet What did the polls predict?
bullet Events culminating in the vote on Prop 8
bullet If Prop 8 is accepted by the courts, what will be its effect?
bullet The immediate aftermath of Prop 8
bullet Legal action following the passage of Prop. 8
bullet The future of Prop. 8
bullet Amici briefs in favor of marriage equality & in opposition to Prop. 8
bullet Amici briefs in opposition to marriage equality & in support of Prop. 8
 
bullet 2009 to now: activity attempting to have Prop. 8 declared unconstitutional:
bullet During 2009 JAN & FEB
bullet During 2009 early MAR
bullet During late 2009 MAR to MAY: Polling data. Path forward. Court ruling.

bullet Rick Warren's stance on Prop. 8 and SSM
bullet

2009 to now: Efforts to overturn Prop. 8 by repeal or a lawsuit.<<< Now active. This is a large section

horizontal rule

Path 4: 2010: Separating marriage into secular & religious components:

horizontal rule

bullet 2010-APR: CA Senate Bill 906

horizontal rule

References used:

The following information source was used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.

  1. Julie Bolcer, "Cuomo Calls for End of DOMA," Advocate, 2011-OCT-28, at: http://www.advocate.com/

 

horizontal rule
Site navigation:

Home page > "Hot" topics > Homosexuality > Couples > SSM > here

horizontal rule

Copyright © 2001 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2011-DEC-13
Author: B.A. Robinson

line.gif (538 bytes)
Sponsored link

horizontal rule

Go to the previous page, or go to the same-sex marriage menu or choose:

Google
Web ReligiousTolerance.org

Go to home page  We would really appreciate your help

E-mail us about errors, etc.  Purchase a CD of this web site

FreeFind search, lists of new essays...  Having problems printing our essays?

Twitter link

Facebook icon

Google Page Translator:

This page translator works on Firefox,
Opera, Chrome, and Safari browsers only

After translating, click on the "show
original" button at the top of this
page to restore page to English.

 

Sponsored link: