Two Big Wins for Gay Rights

After a long appeals process, on Tuesday, February 7th, an appeals court found the ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional and overturned the proposition, though not everyone is rushing to the altar. The ruling will not take effect until the appeal window closes in two weeks, and supporters of Prop. 8 are apparently deciding whether to go for a 9th Circuit appeal or take the issue straight to the Supreme Court.

According to the Associated Press, Judge Stephen Reinhardt (one of the judges who voted in the 2-1 decision) wrote,

Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.

Meanwhile, in Washington…

Today, February 13, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire will sign a bill recognizing same-sex marriages in her state, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and now California. The bill won approval in the state’s House of Representatives by a vote of 55-43 and will take effect in June.

Opponents are planning to seek repeal in November. Good luck with that.