It’s hard to believe that it was one year ago today when the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. That’s right, on May 15, 2008, the court issued the opinion that was subsequently overturned by Proposition 8, but not before some 18,000 same-sex couples had tied the knot. Above is our front page from the next day, May 16. I remember laying out this page and opting to use the quote as the main headline. The quote was from Evan Wolfson, director of the national Freedom to Marry group. And in hindsight, I think my headline decision looks pretty good, if I do say so my damn self. When you consider what’s happened since then, it really does seem as though it was a turning point. Connecticut, Vermont, Maine and Iowa have all legalized same-sex marriage in the last year. Marriage is also close to becoming legal in New Hampshire and New York, and of course we’re all still waiting for the California court’s decision in the lawsuit challenging Prop 8. Incidentally, this decision will not come Monday, May 18. The court has said it will provide one business day’s notice of the decision, and it didn’t make such an announcement today. The Prop 8 decision will come on a Monday or a Thursday before June 3 — or on Tuesday, May 26, which is the day after Memorial Day (the opinion will not be issued on the holiday). For those who are keeping track, this leaves four days as possibilities for the decision to be issued: Thursday, May 21, Tuesday, May 26, Thursday, May 28, and Monday, June 1.
Good call on CA being a turning point and nice compilation off remaining dates. I hadn’t realized that there are just 4 possible dates left, they sure are dragging this down to the wire.
It still remains to be seen whether California will uphold Prop 8, or let our rights be stripped away from us at the whim of a narrow majority. Victory or defeat, we will rally at the corner of Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs at 7:00 pm on the Day of Decision as the California Supreme Court weighs in on our equality.
Please visit http://www.dayofdecision.org and http://www.queerliberaction.org for more information
Day of Decision Rally
Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs
May 21, May 26, May 28 or June 1
7:00 pm