San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will
testify Tuesday at the federal trial to decide the constitutionality
of a gay marriage ban.
Sanders, a Republican, will testify in
support of a gay and a lesbian couple, each of which has been denied
the right to marry in California because of Proposition 8, the gay
marriage ban approved by voters in 2008. The trial opened last week
in San Francisco and will resume on Tuesday.
During a December 2007 press
conference, Sanders announced he could no longer oppose gay marriage.
He attributed his change of heart to the idea that “separate is
not equal.”
With his wife by his side, an emotional
Sanders said: “I have close family members and friends who are
members of the gay and lesbian community. Those folks include my
daughter, Lisa.”
“He's testifying essentially on his
experience on the issue and why he believes marriage equality is
important from a government perspective,” spokesman Darren Pudgil
told The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Sanders is expected to testify at
8:30AM.