Judge orders compensation for gay couple denied benefits

A federal judge today ordered compensation for a Los Angeles couple denied spousal benefits by the federal government because they are gay men.

U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt deemed the denial of healthcare and other benefits to the spouse of federal public defender Brad Levenson to be a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of due process and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, which is prohibited by California state law.

Levenson married his longtime partner, Tony Sears, on July 12, 2008, during the five-month period when same-sex marriage was legal in California. A ballot measure, Proposition 8, was passed a year ago defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Internet effort launched to repeal Prop. 8 and legalize gay marriage

A group called Love Honor Cherish launched an Internet-based effort today to collect enough signatures to place a measure repealing Prop. 8, the anti-gay marriage law, on the state ballot by next year.

The signature-gathering drive will use social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter, organizers said in a statement.

“We’re taking names,” said John Henning, who is heading the SignForEquality.com effort launched to collect the signatures. "People throughout California can now help us win marriage back by the simple act of signing and collecting signatures.”

Prop. 8 was approved by California voters a year ago, reversing a California Supreme Court decision, which held that same-sex couples were guaranteed equal marriage rights under the state Constitution.

Love Honor Cherish, based in Los Angeles, has 150 days to gather approximately 1 million signatures. The signatures are due April 12, 2010.

-- Jessica Garrison

Use The Times' interactive map to track changes in rights for same sex couples in the U.S. since 2000

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Voters oppose putting gay marriage back on the ballot, Times/USC poll finds

A small majority of California voters supports the right of gay couples to marry, but a much larger portion of voters opposes efforts to place the issue back on the ballot next year, a new Los Angeles Times/USC poll has found.

Views on same-sex marriage were sharply polarized based on political party, with 66% of Democrats thinking it should be legal and 71% of Republicans in opposition. Nonpartisan voters were less enthusiastic than Democrats but still backed it, 59%-34%.

Overall, 51% of California voters favored marriage rights for same-sex couples and 43% were opposed. Strikingly, however, almost 60% of Californians did not want to revisit the issue in 2010, just one election cycle after it last hit the ballot. 

Protesters march against Prop. 8 in Hollywood

More than 200 people are marching north on Vermont Avenue from Santa Monica Boulevard to protest Proposition 8, the measure that banned same-sex marriages in California.

The protest, which grew from about 60 people when it started about 7:30 p.m., was causing traffic jams as police cordoned off adjacent streets, authorities said.

"Traffic is kind of heavy," said Officer Gregory Baek of the Los Angeles Police Department. "Other than that, things are very peaceful."

Many of the marchers, their faces painted in makeup, were decked out in colorful costumes.

The march began at Santa Monica and Vermont. By 8:40 p.m., the protesters were approaching Sunset Boulevard.

--Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Marchers take to the streets against Proposition 8. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

'Crash' director cuts ties with Scientology, citing church's gay marriage stand [Updated]

A well-known Hollywood director has severed ties with the Church of Scientology, citing in part the church's support for Proposition 8, the ballot measure last year that banned same-sex marriage in California.

According to the Associated Press, "Crash" director Paul Haggis "said he was disappointed by the church’s tacit denial of gay rights and its backing of California’s gay marriage ban.... Ziggy Kozlowski, a publicist for Haggis, confirmed that the director wrote the letter. Kozlowski said the letter was intended to remain private."

Voters approved Prop. 8 in November 2008, despite strong opposition from many Hollywood figures. Advocates of same-sex marriage are planning to ask voters to reconsider the ban in 2010 or 2011.

According to AP, Haggis wrote the letter in August and it has since been reprinted on some blogs and websites.

[Updated, 4:22 p.m.: Tommy Davis, a Scientology spokesman, said that the church did not support Proposition 8 and that Haggis might have believed differently because of an erroneous endorsement announcement involving a San Diego chapter of the church.]

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Gus Ruelas / Associated Press.

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Judge refuses to dismiss challenge to Prop. 8

A federal judge refused today to dismiss a constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, ruling the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage raised legal and factual issues that required a trial.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, ruling after nearly two hours of arguments in San Francisco, rejected contentions by Proposition 8's proponents that precedent and tradition clearly showed last November's ballot measure permissible under the U.S. Constitution.

Walker previously ordered the Proposition 8 campaign to disclose its internal memorandums and communications to gay rights lawyers. The campaign is appealing that order to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on 1st Amendment grounds.

-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco

Related: Use The Times' interactive map to see the evolution of rights for same-sex couples in the U.S. since 2000.

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Judge to consider whether to dismiss challenge to Prop. 8

A federal judge today will consider whether to dismiss a lawsuit against Proposition 8, last year's ballot measure that reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage in California.

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who will hear arguments in San Francisco, must decide whether to proceed with a trial scheduled for January or throw out the constitutional challenge on purely legal grounds.

Walker has previously said he believes a trial is needed to develop a factual record for higher courts. The case is eventually expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

But backers of the ballot measure contend that a trial is unnecessary because the law is already clear.

Gov.’s surprise bill signings: Harvey Milk recognition, paparazzi restrictions and ammo tracking

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger surprised many people today by reversing himself on several pieces of legislation and signing bills similar to ones he had previously vetoed, including measures regulating ammunition sales and recognizing gay rights leader Harvey Milk. He also signed measures to regulate cosmetic surgery and the paparazzi, both introduced in response to incidents involving celebrities.

The Republican governor signed a bill, opposed by many conservatives, that requires sellers of handgun ammunition, starting in 2011, to keep a log of information on sales including the buyer's thumbprint, signature and driver's license data.

"Although I have previously vetoed legislation similar to this measure, local governments have demonstrated that requiring ammunition vendors to keep records on ammunition sales improves public safety,'' Schwarzenegger said in a statement on AB 962 by Assemblyman Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles).

Because the governor had vetoed other bills restricting guns this year, the executive of Gun Owners of California was baffled that the governor agreed to track ammunition sales.

Gay marriage court battles heat up this week

Nearly a year after California voters approved Proposition 8, the court battles over the ban on gay marriage fight are intensifying this week.

Foes of Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage, are demanding access to internal campaign records and correspondence between the Yes on 8 campaign's leaders and their political consultants. A federal judge last week agreed some of those records should be released.

Supporters of the proposition say they will appeal the order, arguing it amounts to a violation of free speech rights.

Meanwhile, the two sides will be in court this week over a larger challenge to the legality of Proposition 8. On Wednesday, proposition supporters will ask a federal judge to throw out the challenge and essentially cancel an expected January trial date over the legality of the same-sex marriage ban.

Campaign to overturn Prop. 8 and legalize gay marriage begins today with ballot filing

Despite concerns from some gay-rights activists that it's too early to revisit the issue, one group today pushed forward with plans for a 2010 ballot measure that would repeal Prop. 8 and allow gay marriage in California.

The group Love Honor Cherish filed ballot language with the state today for a measure to overturn the ban on gay marriage in the state. That is the first step in getting the question on the ballot.

According to the group, if the state approves the language, they will begin the process of collecting the estimated 1 million signatures needed to get on the November 2010 ballot.

Last month, Leaders of Equality California, one of the state’s largest gay rights groups, announced  it will wait until 2012 to push for an amendment to the California Constitution to permit same-sex marriage.

Despite concerns from some gay-rights activists that it's too early to revisit the issue, one group today pushed forward with plans for a 2010 ballot measure that would repeal Prop. 8 and allow gay marriage in California.

The group Love Honor Cherish filed ballot language with the state today for a measure to overturn the ban on gay marriage in the state. That is the first step in getting the question on the ballot.

According to the group, if the state approves the language, they will begin the process of collecting the estimated 1 million signatures needed to get on the November 2010 ballot.

Last month, Leaders of Equality California, one of the state’s largest gay rights groups, announced  it will wait until 2012 to push for an amendment to the California Constitution to permit same-sex marriage.

Harvey Milk tapped for state Hall of Fame

Harvey Milk, the slain gay-rights activist made more famous by the recent Oscar-winning film "Milk," didn’t make Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cut for the a statewide day of recognition last year.

But today Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced their selection of Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the state, into the California Hall of Fame.

In 2008, Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation to proclaim May 22 – Milk’s birthday – a date  of “special significance." In his veto message, Schwarzenegger wrote that Milk’s “contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted” during his term as a San Francisco supervisor. Milk was assassinated while holding that post in 1978.

Today, Milk was among 13 Californians the governor and first lady honored because they “embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history,” according to the announcement.

Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) plans to put Harvey Milk Day legislation on the governor’s desk again this year – in hopes of a different result. President Obama honored Milk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this summer.

Francisco Castillo, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, said the governor does not yet have a position on the legislation. The change from vetoing the bill last year to the Hall of Fame honor this year is “not a shift” in positions for the governor, he said.

“The governor believes the California Hall of Fame is the right place and an appropriate venue to celebrate Harvey Milk’s contributions,” Castillo said.

The other members of the incoming Hall of Fame group are entertainer Carol Burnett, former Intel CEO Andrew Grove, former Gov. Hiram Johnson, decathlete and philanthropist Rafer Johnson, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, philanthropist and peace activist Joan Kroc, filmmaker George Lucas, football commentator John Madden, artist Fritz Scholder, author Danielle Steel, bodybuilding pioneer and Schwarzenegger mentor Joe Weider, and Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager.

--Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento

Group that backed Prop. 8 focuses on reinstating Iowa's gay-marriage ban

Opponents of same-sex marriage launched a campaign today to re-ban gay marriage in Iowa.

The National Organization for Marriage, which was active in getting Proposition 8 approved by voters in California, sent out an appeal for donations to run advertisements on behalf of political candidates who oppose same-sex marriage.

It said the first ad would support Republican Stephen Burgmeier, who supports putting the issue of same-sex marriage to a vote in the Hawkeye State. He is up for election in less than two weeks.

In April, Iowa became the third state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage after the state Supreme Court ruled that a law defining marriage as only between men and women was unconstitutional.

Brian Brown -- who spearheaded the National Organization for Marriage's efforts in California, and is now the group's executive director -- also wrote supporters that donations could be used nationwide, to “allow us to rapidly intervene … in key races across the country where a handful of House or Senate seats could make the difference between whether a same-sex marriage bill or state marriage amendment passes or fails.”

-- Jessica Garrison

Related: Interactive: Gay marriage chronology

West Hollywood to mark historic same-sex marriages

A West Hollywood site where same-sex marriages were performed last year is getting a new addition: a bronze historical marker engraved with a quote from Nelson Mandela.

The City Council plans to unveil the plaque Sept. 8 before permanently installing it at West Hollywood Park off North San Vicente Boulevard to commemorate the first marriages of same-sex couples.

It will bear these words from the former president of South Africa: “I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.”

Administration lawyers reluctantly defend federal gay marriage ban in case of O.C. couple

The Obama administration today branded the federal Defense of Marriage Act "discriminatory" and called for its repeal -- in the course of defending it against a lawsuit brought by a gay couple from Orange County.

As long as the law denying federal recognition of same-sex marriages remains on the books, Department of Justice attorneys are obliged to find constitutional justification for it, explained department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler.

Obama has disappointed gay citizens by failing to reverse policies that deny some rights and privileges to same-sex couples.

Assistant Atty. Gen. Tony West made it clear in his brief today, though, that the administration defends the federal same-sex marriage barrier with reluctance.

California's same-sex marriage battle has new target: Maine

Partisans on both sides of California’s battle over same-sex marriage have a new target: Maine.

That state’s Legislature voted last spring to allow gay marriage -- but only if the measure survives a so-called “people’s veto” in which voters will have a chance to review the Legislature’s decision.

That has made the Pine Tree State the next battleground over same sex marriage. Today, Equality California, one of this state’s largest gay rights groups, sent out a fundraising appeal urging supporters to send their donations to Maine.

The appeal noted that opponents of gay marriage, including many who were active in California’s $80-million battle over Proposition 8, have raised more than twice as much money. Frank Schubert, who managed the Yes on 8 campaign, is deeply involved in Maine’s campaign.

“A victory in Maine is essential for victory in California,” wrote Geoff Kors, head of EQCA.

-- Jessica Garrison

Photo: Same-sex marriage supporters and opponents in March outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Gay marriage proponents to delay anti-Prop. 8 ballot measure till 2012 [Updated]

Leaders of Equality California, one of the state’s largest gay rights groups, announced today it will wait until 2012 to push for an amendment to the California Constitution to permit same-sex marriage.

Many gay rights groups have favored returning the issue to voters as soon as 2010. Leaders at Equality California, which spearheaded the campaign against Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, have said they want to make sure they can win.

Gay rights group to unveil timetable for anti-Prop. 8 ballot measure

Leaders of Equality California, one of the state’s largest gay rights groups, will host a conference call today to discuss their timeline for going back to the ballot to try to amend the California Constitution to permit same-sex marriage.
 
Many gay rights groups have been pushing to return the issue to voters as soon as 2010. Leaders at EQCA, which spearheaded the campaign against Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, have said they want to make sure they can win.

They have said they worry about raising the millions of dollars necessary in the current tough economic climate and also that it will take longer than two years to convince enough voters.

Big racial, ethnic divide remains in L.A. on gay marriage, Times Poll finds [Updated]

 

In the state’s continuing political battles over gay marriage, both sides are targeting Latino voters, and a new Los Angeles Times poll illustrates why. Overall, the poll showed, a substantial majority of voters in Los Angeles support the right of same-sex couples to legally marry, with 56% in favor and 37% opposed.

That finding closely tracked the results of November’s election in which Proposition 8, which limited marriage to unions of a man and a woman, won statewide but lost in the city of Los Angeles. But the poll also showed that within the city, views on the issue differed widely among racial and ethnic groups.

White voters were most emphatic in their support for same-sex marriage, with 68% supporting it and 27% opposing. African American voters were strongly against it, with 54% opposing same-sex marriage and 37% supporting it.

Opposition to gay marriage by African Americans was widely seen as a major factor contributing to the passage of Proposition 8. Latinos in the current poll were split, with 45% supporting same-sex marriage and 46% opposing.

Within the Latino population, there were additional divisions: women, the young and people with college educations offered more backing for gay marriage than men, older voters and those with fewer years of schooling. Since the passage of Proposition 8, political analysts have suggested that statewide support for same-sex marriage is only a matter of time, and the poll offered support for that idea.

Among Los Angeles voters, support for same-sex marriage grew consistently stronger as the age of respondents decreased.

Among those age 18-29, 66% said same-sex marriages should be recognized as valid, while 29% disagreed.

The percentage of support declined slightly with each increment of age; those age 50-64 supported gay marriage by a narrower 55%-39% margin. The only voters to oppose same-sex marriage in greater numbers than those who backed it were those older than 64. In that group, 43% supported legal gay marriages and 48% were opposed.

The Times Poll was conducted for The Times by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research in conjunction with Public Opinion Strategies, both based in Washington, D.C. The poll questioned 1,500 registered voters in the city of Los Angeles from June 10-16. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

-- Cathleen Decker

Check Sunday's Los Angeles Times for full results of the new Times Poll on topics including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's political future, the city's budget deficit and a look ahead at next year's race for governor.

 Photo: L.A. Times

[Updated 1:42 p.m. An earlier version of the headline on this article said L.A. voters were divided along racial and ethnic lines on Proposition 8. The poll asked for opinions on same-sex marriage, not on the ballot initiative specifically.]

More coverage:

The Times answers reader questions about Prop. 8

Times Prop. 8 voting results map

Full coverage of Prop. 8 on L.A. Now

Times gay marriage interactive map

Schwarzenegger neutral on legality of Prop. 8 [Updated]

[Updated at 3:49 p.m. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today told a federal court that his office remains neutral in the legal battle over whether  Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.]

“Plaintiffs’ complaint presents important constitutional questions that require and warrant judicial determination," the governor said in a written response to a federal challenge of the anti-gay marriage ballot measure.

" In a constitutional democracy, it is the role of the courts to determine and resolve such questions. … The administration encourages the court to resolve the merits of this action expeditiously.”

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has scheduled a July 2 hearing on arguments whether Proposition 8 should be blocked pending a trial on its constitutionality.

The state has opposed an injunction on the grounds that it could create legal chaos if the measure is eventually upheld. The federal lawsuit was filed shortly before the California Supreme Court rejected challenges to the measure on state constitutional grounds. Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has argued that Proposition 8 violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

He also argued unsuccessfully in state court that the measure violated the California Constitution.

"We are extremely pleased Gov. Schwarzenegger does not dispute the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 and agrees that swift action is needed to ensure that every person is treated equally under the law,” said Chad Griffin, president of a group formed to back the federal challenge.

-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco

Interactive map of milestones in the gay marriage battle and how state laws have changed since 2000

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

Annual LA Pride Festival this weekend in West Hollywood

Thousands are expected to converge on West Hollywood Park this weekend for the annual LA Pride festival, a celebration of the gay and lesbian community.

The festival, which charges $20 admission, was to include performances tonight by singers Deborah Cox and Fantasia Barrino. Attendees had the option of watching performances on the main stage, listening to artists and panelists speak at a "community village" or dancing to music on San Vicente Boulevard. Crafts and playground games will be available at the Children’s Garden, while an adults-only "Erotic City" will host an outdoor dungeon and erotic art show.

On Sunday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are scheduled to speak at a 10:30 a.m. news conference at Santa Monica and Crescent Heights boulevards to address healthcare issues and the gay-marriage controversy. A parade on Santa Monica Boulevard begins at 11 a.m.

San Vicente  will remain closed between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue through Monday at 7 a.m. Santa Monica  between Fairfax Avenue and Doheny Drive will close at 6 a.m. Sunday and reopen at 5 p.m., as will Crescent Heights  between Romaine Street and Fountain Avenue.

This weekend’s celebration commemorates the Stonewall riots, widely considered the birth of the gay rights movement, which occurred when police in 1969 raided a gay bar in New York City called the Stonewall Inn and patrons fought back.

-- Rong-Gong Lin II

Brown: Keep Prop. 8 in force until final resolution of federal challenge

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown asked a federal court Thursday not to block Proposition 8, arguing that a resumption of same-sex marriages in the state before the federal challenge was resolved would put those unions in “legal limbo.”

In written arguments filed late Thursday, Brown said permitting gays to marry before appeals in the case are completed “would not serve the public interest because it would create significant uncertainty for many persons [involved in] a relationship in which certainty is of the utmost importance.”

Brown’s decision to oppose an order blocking Prop. 8, which his office contended violated the state constitution, reflects widespread concern among supporters of same-sex marriage that the federal challenge may ultimately fail.

In fact, many gay rights activists openly condemned the federal suit as fraught with risk. They had urged supporters and gay couples not to sue in federal court out of fear that a loss before the U.S. Supreme Court could set back the cause for decades.

Shortly before the California Supreme Court upheld Prop. 8 last month, former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson and prominent lawyer David Boies challenged the anti-gay marriage initiative in federal court in San Francisco. The state high court’s ruling -- based on state law, not the federal constitution -- also upheld the validity of an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages that occurred before the November vote.

Prejean ousted for turning down TV appearances, not her gay-marriage views, Miss California USA officials say

It’s official. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has been fired.

The reason wasn’t the anti-gay-marriage comments that have made her the darling of the political right. Nor was it the semi-nude photos that have made her the darling of many across the political spectrum.

 It was that the San Diego college student wasn’t doing her job, pageant officials said in a statement.

"This was a decision based solely on contraction violations including Ms. Prejean’s unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization,” said Keith Lewis, co-executive director of the Miss California USA pageant. “After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship.

"However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together,” Lewis said. The violations ranged from refusing to appear on the "Larry King Live" show to turning down red-carpet events from sponsors, said Lewis’ publicist, Roger Neal.

“I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract, said Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageant system. “Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests.”

The move was the latest twist in a story that mixes intrigue with the machinations of reality television. Prejean burst into prominence when she declared at the Miss USA Pageant that she did not believe that two people of the same sex should be allowed to marry. “No offense to anybody out there,” she said.

Residents say city's support for Proposition 8 hurting them

Porterville, a small Central Valley town, was the only city in California to formally endorse Proposition 8, the measure that banned gay marriage in California.

But now, some residents want the City Council to reverse course, arguing the endorsement has inflamed tension in Porterville.

The mayor isn't backing down, and it's possible Porterville will take a stand if gay marriage supporters place a measure on the ballot attempting to repeal. According to ABC30, residents spoke out at a council meeting this week:

The Porterville City Council got an earful from residents who said the council's public support of Prop 8, hurt them. Jamie Garza and her wife say the council's action was like declaring open season on gays in Porterville. They suffered verbal assaults, and tire slashing. John Coffee and his husband said harassment and intimidation have increased because of the council's vote. Pediatrician, Dr. Katherine Hall said the council's action was psychologically damaging to young gay people who already feel alienated.

-- Shelby Grad

Celebration of marriage set this evening in Fresno and San Diego

Supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage are planning to rally later today in Fresno and San Diego in what organizers described as a celebration of traditional marriage, and a thank you to the California Supreme Court for upholding the voter initiative preventing gay unions.

The rally plans by opponents of same-sex marriage follow a gathering Saturday of about 3,000 gay-rights supporters in California's Central Valley in a renewed campaign to win over voters. That demonstration, which included a 14.5-mile march from Selma to Fresno, came just days after the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, limiting marriage to unions of a man and a woman.

The dueling Saturday and Sunday rallies underscore the fact that, despite an election and a Supreme Court decision, the issue of same-sex marriage is by no means settled in California.

Both sides say they intend to keep fighting.

Pastor Jim Franklin, who will be leading the Fresno rally, said it is not a counter-protest, but rather a celebration of his side's victory.

"We are going to have a time of gratitude and thank the courts... and a time to show our gratitude to the 7 million voters who helped [pass] Proposition 8," he said.

Franklin said his meeting was geared to Fresno-area residents, but because of the publicity about Saturday's gay rights event, it could draw people from throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

Meanwhile, labor, religious and civil rights activists planned to meet today in Fresno to plot the next steps in their campaign for marriage equality. Among other things, activists could seek to put the issue on the ballot next year. They also are planning a march this fall in Washington, D.C.

Swaying voters in places like Fresno, which backed Proposition 8 by more than 2 to 1, will be crucial to their efforts.

Fresno police Lt. Gregg Sanders said there were no problems at the Saturday rally, and he expected none this evening. "It was very quiet, no opposing signs or anything," he said.

The Fresno rally is expected to start at 6 p.m. in front of City Hall, Franklin said. Featured speakers were slated to include movie actor Alan Autry, Fresno's former mayor, and Franklin.

-- Jessica Garrison and Gale Holland