Proposition 8 Upheld by CA Supremes

By a vote of 6-1 the California Supreme court upheld Proposition 8 and its ban on same-sex marriages in the state.

In an opinion written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, the state high court ruled today that the November initiative was not an illegal constitutional revision, as gay rights lawyers contended, nor unconstitutional because it took away an inalienable right, as Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown argued.

At the same time the court ruled in a unanimous opinion that all same-sex marriages already performed in the state following a judge's previous ruling may stand and remain recognized.

Even with the court upholding Proposition 8, a key portion of the court's May 15, 2008, decision remains intact. Sexual orientation will continue to receive the strongest constitutional protection possible when California courts consider cases of alleged discrimination. The California Supreme Court is the only state high court in the nation to have elevated sexual orientation to the status of race and gender in weighing discrimination claims.

I wonder if Delaware will ever offer full and equal rights under the law to all people regardless of sexual orientation. Progress is being made across the nation, but many people remain opposed to the idea of allowing same-sex couples the same rights offered to different sex couples in terms of legal relationships. Unfairness and discrimination continue to rule in many parts of our national conscience these days.

Peace.