California same-sex marriage trial draws to a close
Just day’s after state Sen. Roy Ashburn’s confession that he’s gay the California Supreme court will enter the final stages of the trial banning same-sex marriage in the state.
The case which began in January has focused on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage after a 2008 ban was voter approved. The unlikely players in this courtroom drama are the defense attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies, the two opposing counsels for Bush v. Gore in 2000.
A 294 page summary was filed on March 1 for closing arguements
“Californians voted for Proposition 8 because they thought it would strengthen the institution of marriage (and) … because they thought it would benefit children,” sponsors of Prop. 8 said Friday night in papers filed in federal court in San Francisco.
Their opponents, representing two same-sex couples and the city of San Francisco, said those purported goals of Prop. 8 were contradicted by overwhelming evidence at a 12-day trial in January that allowing same-sex couples to wed would benefit their children and the institution of marriage. Regardless of the intentions of individual voters, they argued, the Prop. 8 campaign was designed to appeal to fear and deep-seated prejudice.
“The evidence demonstrates that Proposition 8′s actual motivation was moral disapproval of gay and lesbian individuals,” said the measure’s opponents, plaintiffs in the federal court case. They said the ballot measure “sends a message to gay and lesbian individuals that they are not welcome in California.”
As the U.S Supreme Court has refused to block Washington D.C law for same-sex, it will go into effect as scheduled, but what does this mean for California?
Some proponents say that it will be a matter of time before the country moves toward a more progressive direction. People on the opposing side believe a reversal of a voter approved ban would undermine the will of California residents.
Either way the battle for gay rights is heating up in California and both sides are ready to appeal the decision.
