Today, the California Supreme Court issued an advisory opinion that opponents of marriage equality in California DO have standing to argue in support of Proposition 8 in a court of law.
The California Supreme Court in September heard arguments on the issue of whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have legal standing to appeal a ruling that found the law to be unconstitutional. The hearing came at the behest of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and today’s advisory opinion is not legally binding.
The case now goes back to the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, where issues of standing and constitutionality will be considered based on a decision last year by former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker and today’s California Supreme Court decision.
For information about the lawsuit specifically, visit the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
As has been the case any time a ruling in the Prop 8 case has been issued, GLAAD expects the intense focus of the news media on the topic of not only Proposition 8, but marriage for gay couples in general. Although this is a complicated legal case, we ask the media to remind audiences that this story is at its core, a human one. We ask the media to raise the voices of the men and women who have been denied the protections of marriage, and who are the most impacted by this case.
"We urge media to highlight the California couples whose stories of love and commitment are at the heart of these legal decisions,” said Mike Thompson, Acting President of GLAAD. “More than half a dozen recent polls all show that a majority of Americans today support marriage equality, as they’ve come to realize that this issue is about their friends, family and neighbors who want the same chances to take care of and be responsible for the people they love.”
We encourage anyone who reads or sees problematic coverage of these issues in the media to contact GLAAD immediately. We will strive to ensure that the focus of these stories never fails to recognize the real life impact that the lack of marriage equality presents for loving and committed same-sex couples.
