Reactions to California Supreme Court gay marriage ruling
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Some reactions to Thursday's California Supreme Court ruling that overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage. The ruling would allow same-sex couples in the biggest U.S. state to wed.
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"At the end of the day, this is about real people and their lives. This is about their families. It doesn't get much more personal than this. ... This is an extraordinary day. This is an extraordinary moment."
_San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
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"President Bush has always believed marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. Today's decision by the California Supreme Court illustrates that a federal constitutional amendment is the best way for the people to decide what marriage means."
_White House Press Secretary Dana Perino
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"I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling."
_California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
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"What an outrage. It will be up to the people of California to preserve traditional marriage by passing a constitutional amendment. ... Only then can they protect themselves from this latest example of judicial tyranny."
_James Dobson, chairman of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family
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"Essentially, this boils down to love. We love each other. We now have equal rights under the law... We're going to get married. No Tupperware, please."
_Robin Tyler, a plaintiff in the case along with her partner, Diane Olson
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"This is what the California Supreme Court has said: Children have a new role model — homosexual marriage, aspire to it. This is a disaster."
_Randy Thomasson of VoteYesMarriage.com, a campaign to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage
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"Because the California Supreme Court is looked to by other states as a leader in family law, we hope and expect that this decision will be persuasive and influential in other states throughout this nation."
_Gloria Allred, lawyer for two Southern California plaintiffs in the case
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"Today's decision of California's high court opens the door for policymakers to deconstruct traditional marriage and create another institution under the guise of equal protection."
_Ned Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference
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"I welcome the California Supreme Court's historic decision. I have long fought against discrimination and believe that the state constitution provides for equal treatment for all of California's citizens and families, which today's decision recognizes."
_House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco
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"This ruling is a conservative one. The justices have ensured that the law treats all Californians fairly and equally. This decision is a good one for all families, gay and non-gay."
_James Vaughn, director of the California Log Cabin Republicans
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"Today the California Supreme Court took a giant leap to ensure that everybody — not just in the state of California, but throughout the country — will have equal treatment under the law."
_ San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who helped argue the case before the Supreme Court
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"We won. Today is the day we've been working for — a watershed for basic fairness and human dignity. Profound social change starts in California, and does not end here. It influences the rest of the nation."
_Maya Harris, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California
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"We all know that love knows no boundary. Today, in the great state of California, neither does fairness and opportunity."
_Lorri Jean, chief executive of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
The Supreme Court of California in a 4–3 decision has struck down California's ban on gay marriage. The decision struck down two laws, one from 1977 and another more recent one due to a referendum in 2000. Prior to this case, California allowed extensive benefits to gay couples that were in practice close to those given to heterosexual couples. 

The Court's headquarters in San Francisco, California, which it shares with the Court of Appeal for the First District.
The case in question consisted of a consolidation of six cases being appealed. Parties included a variety of gay couples and the city of San Francisco which wanted to recognize gay couples.

The opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, stated that that there was no legitimate basis to discriminate based on sexual preference. Moreover, the court found that the laws were unconstitutional given the protections of the California Constitution. The opinion was also signed by Justices, Kathryn Werdegar, and Carlos Moreno and Justice Joyce Kennard who also wrote an additional concurrence. Justice Marvin Baxter wrote dissent also signed by Justice Ming Chin. Finally, Justice Carol Corrigan wrote a dissent saying that although she personally favored gay marriage the people of California clearly had not and the popular will should not be overruled by the court.

Supporters of gay marriage said the ruling was a milestone. "This decision will give Americans the lived experience that ending exclusion from marriage helps families and harms no one," said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, who noted that same-sex marriages are now legal in South Africa, Canada, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.

James Dobson, head of the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family called the ruling an outrage and called on the people of California to pass a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage saying that "Only then can they protect themselves from this latest example of judicial tyranny."


Edward Zelinsky of Yeshiva University, whose work was cited in the brief of California's attorney general supporting the law, characterized the court's opinion as "problematic in important respects." He criticized the court for failing to explain adequately why its logic does not apply to other non-traditional forms of marriage such as polygamy.

Since the decision is based upon the California Constitution, it cannot be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Currently in the United States different states have taken different positions. Although a variety of states allow civil unions, at present only Massachusetts has legalized gay marriage. State courts have disagreed as to whether gay couples should be treated like heterosexual couples.