The California Supreme Court has found
a law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples unconstitutional.
This decision paves the way for
implementation of same-sex marriage in California. If instituted,
California would become only the second state in the US after
Massachusetts to recognize same-sex marriage. Massachusetts is
celebrating four years of same-sex marriage on Saturday.
In it's decision, the court stated,
“...gay individuals and same-sex couples are in some respects
'second-class citizens' who may, under the law, be treated
differently from, and less favorably than, heterosexual individuals
or opposite-sex couples. Under these circumstances, we cannot find
that retention of the traditional of marriage constitutes a
compelling state interest.”
“Accordingly, we conclude that to
the extend the current California statutory provisions limit marriage
to opposite-sex couples, these statutes are unconstitutional.”