Vaughn Walker, the now retired federal
judge who struck down Proposition 8, California's gay marriage ban,
as unconstitutional, said Thursday that he believes gay marriage is
“an idea whose time has come,” The
Bay Citizen reported.
“It does seem to me the notion of
people deciding to get married without regard to gender is an idea
whose time has come and that eventually will be accepted,” Walker
said in answering an audience member's question after giving a
lecture at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club.
“It seems to me that will eventually
be the outcome,” he said.
Walker ruled on the 2008 voter-approved
amendment after hearing 13 days' worth of testimony in a San
Francisco courtroom. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in February upheld Walker's ruling. But the
court's narrow interpretation most likely limits its decision to
California.
Prop 8 supporters have appealed the
ruling to a broader panel of the appeals court.
Walker said that because of the
narrowness of the ruling, the case might not reach the U.S. Supreme
Court.
“... there is some question whether
Proposition 8 will go to the Supreme Court,” he said. “The
Supreme Court could decide not to review the Proposition 8 case.”