Gay-marriage advocates to mark 1-year anniversary

Gay-marriage advocates are planning a number of rallies across the state today and Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of same-sex marriage being legal in California.

The events, planned for West Hollywood, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, San Diego and other cities, will feature couples celebrating their one-year-milestones, as well as faith leaders. All involved will call for a change to California law to make gay marriage legal once again.

Some faith leaders have said they will not perform any civil marriage ceremonies -- those that legally marry couples in the eyes of the state -- until marriage is legal for same sex couples too.

The California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in May 2008. The first marriages were performed June 16, 2008. An estimated 18,000 couples were married between then and November 2008, when voters approved Proposition 8, which amended the state Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. Gay-marriage advocates are planning another ballot measure to re-amend the Constitution as soon as 2010.

-- Jessica Garrison

Comments

[Cornet Mustich]

It's time for marriage equality and fairness in CA. (Period)

Kudos to New England, Iowa, and DC.

Cheers, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, CT USA

This summer I will be officiating for many couples who are coming to CT to wed from CA, NY, VA and LA, because they aren't allowed to in their own home states just yet?

It's time America.

[Sean]

A lot of Mormons have been arrested and jailed for polygamy and polygamy was and to some extent still is a tenant of their religion. I don't believe it is possible to make the argument that gays have a right to have their marriages recognized by the state, but Mormons don't.

If we remove religion from the state's involvement with marriage, which I think is a very good idea, I don't see how you can say that polygamy is a problem where it is voluntarily entered into by consenting adults. There are many cultures around the world that observe polygamous relations under law today and such people who move to the United States have to give up their religion, culture and relationships.

If we're going to say that disallowing gay marriage is unconstitutional as an equal protection violation and perhaps also as an improper imposition of religious values on people who are citizens and do not subscribe to those values, I cannot imagine how anyone can argue that polygamy shouldn't also be legal and observed by the state when it is voluntarily entered into by consenting adults.

[Shane]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does not currently practice Polygamy in any sense of the word. Some off shoots of the church do but their beliefs are black and white in comparison to the LDS Church.

I agree that you cannot give access to one group while disallowing another to do something. This is, of course, when the acts in question can be related. Multiple wives and same sex relationships are very different not only in purpose but also in a biological sense. I think that people need to understand that the LDS church did not back Prop8 but citizens of California did so through their own beliefs. Many LDS members feel same sex marriage is a personal choice and should be allowed if desired due to the belief in personal agency. The fact is that more believe it is not moral and will eventually lead to other social degeneration.

If someone voices their opinion they should not be harassed or spoken ill of. Because in the end the LDS church did not make the decision and neither did the supporters of prop8 to suspend same sex marriage, the people of California did. Believe and support and you will.... that has always been the American promise.