California's Gay Marriage Decision

Four years ago, the California Supreme Court decided that same-sex marriage licenses issued at San Francisco's City Hall were "unlawful." Although California has conferred legal benefits to same-sex couples since 1999 through "registered domestic partnerships" (Page 3), in the absence of a judicial determination, "civil marriage" was reserved for opposite-sex couples.

PRINTDISCUSSE-MAILRSSRECOMMEND...SINGLE PAGE

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

That lapse was remedied by the same high court on May 15*. The justices ruled (excerpts below and on the following eight pages) that neither one's "capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship" nor "the responsibility to care for and raise children" (Page 7) depends upon an individual's sexual orientation. The state constitution guarantees the "right to marry" as integral to "liberty and personal autonomy" (Page 6), and each person has the right to establish an "officially recognized and protected family" and "to have their family relationship accorded dignity and respect" (Page 8).

Share this article on Buzz

Send Hot Document ideas to . Please indicate whether you wish to remain anonymous.

Correction, May 19, 2008: This article originally referred to April 15 as the date of the ruling. (Return to the corrected sentence.)

PRINTE-MAILRECOMMEND...RSS

FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE

SPONSORED CONTENT

• Madoff 'n' Jeff
  Bernie Madoff and his accountant made the oddest of couples.
  Bonnie Goldstein | Dec. 17, 2008
• A Hold on Holder?
  Senators squabble over how soon to hold the confirmation hearing for Obama's attorney-general nominee.
  Bonnie Goldstein | Dec. 15, 2008
• Layoff Spin
  An ad firm accidentally leaks its "restructuring communications plan."
  Bonnie Goldstein | Dec. 8, 2008
• Search for more Hot Document articles
• Subscribe to the Hot Document RSS feed
• View our complete Hot Document archive

• Dentyne Says "Go Away!"
• Spelt It Out
• Wasted Time Warner

• No Room at The Inn
• Letters to the Obama Girls
• The Inauguration Can Wait

• Your New Small Business Committee Chairwoman
• Count Yourself In On the Money-making
• The Obama Stimulus Plan and Small Business

• [video] Man Who Crossed Nation In Balloon Only Wants To Talk About Horse Abuse
• People Like Food
• Area Teen Accidentally Enters Teen Center

• Inauguration to Close Off Many Bridges to District
• Paulson: Abolish Fannie, Freddie
• Burris Likely to Be Seated

• Can Facebook Save the Real Estate Market?
• Before Madoff: A WASP Forerunner
• Economy: FDIC Sells IndyMac At a Loss