West Hollywood officials disappointed by Proposition 8 ruling
At a brief news conference at City Hall, West Hollywood Mayor John Duran expressed disappointment in the California Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday that the sponsors of Proposition 8 are legally entitled to defend the same-sex marriage ban because state officials refuse to do so.
A lawyer who fought for gay civil rights in the 1980s, Duran said the ruling is a minor roadblock in the struggle for marriage equality. He described supporters of Proposition 8 as a small group of extremists who don't represent most Californians.
"I think what's particularly devastating for us today is a lot of us in the gay community are scratching our heads and saying, 'My god, if Kim Kardashian can get married and divorced in 72 days, why can't our gay couples just get married -- especially those who have been together for 30 years?" Duran said. "It just seems to be so fundamentally unfair."
He added: "We will continue to fight."
Mayor Pro Tempore Jeffrey Prang, who married during the few months in 2008 when same-sex marriages were legal in California, said he was confident that same-sex marriages would ultimately be found legal by the federal courts. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is currently hearing the Proposition 8 case, which experts believe will eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We as a community have dealt with many setbacks over the years. The road to justice is not something that happens overnight." Prang said. "But it has been moving in our direction for the last several decades."
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--Ricardo Lopez in West Hollywood
Photo: West Hollywood Mayor John Duran speaks at a campaign fundraiser event for President Obama at the House of Blues in September. Credit: Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images
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