In a long-awaited decision, a federal appeals court today declared that California’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that a lower court judge correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedents when he declared in 2010 that Proposition 8 was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian people.—-
Prop 8 — short for “Proposition 8” — was a ballot initiative approved by California voters in November 2008. It overturned court rulings that allowed the marriage of same-sex couples in that state.
Today’s ruling likely will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
For more on the ruling, click here.
This article appears in Feb 1-7, 2012.
