According to a report in the Los Angeles Times today, although the California Supreme Court has 90 days after oral arguments Thursday to render a decision on whether to invalidate Prop 8 and/or the same-sex marriages that took place last summer in California, the justices may actually announce their ruling on Thursday.
The Times says most legal analysts expect the court to rule that Prop 8 is valid, but also to rule that those marriages that took place between the court’s ruling last May and the Prop 8 vote in November will remain legal and valid.
Read the whole story here.
It is ridiculous to think that the marriages that took place between June and November will be considered “valid” if the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn prop 8. The constitution will read, “only marriages between a man and a woman will be valid and recognized in the state of California”. Why are people, even those of us married during that time, trying to convince ourselves those marriages will be “safe”. In addition, it would defeat the purpose. We want Equality for all, not just a man and a woman who want to get married or same sex couples married between June and November 2008.
Whether the California Supreme Court issues a ruling before the weekend or not, Queer Liberaction is going ahead with it’s rally in opposition to Proposition 8. The rally will take place on Saturday, March 7 beginning at 2:00 pm. The event will take place on the Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. Check out our website queerliberaction.org for more information.
If a ruling hasn’t been issued by Thursday then the objective of the rally remains the same: to send a message to the California Supreme Court and to our neighbors in Texas that LGBT folk aren’t going to have our rights taken away from us lying down. The rally also gives us an opportunity to come together as a community so we are better prepared for future anti-LGBT legislation or initiatives that might be coming our way very soon here in Texas.
If there is a ruling before Saturday the tone of the rally will change in one of two ways.
1) If we’re defeated it will be important to not take it lying down and protest as vigorously as possible. The alternative in such a situation would be a numbing and debilitating depression about the defeat. There is only one thing worse than a defeat, and that’s a passive acceptance of it.
2) If we are victorious then the rally will be a celebration while taking the victory and pressing our advantage as much as possible. This can be done in such a way that the possible victory in California promotes further victories elsewhere.
Look, those of you that won’t accept the majority of the “peoples will” should look at that fact that the only reason there were marriages between June and Novemeber in the firat palce was all the catalyst of the courts runling what we have to suddenly accept as a way of life. You got your Obama (and all theat comes with that), and we’re not rallying, or marching all over the place because we don’ like the outcome of the voting system. Accept prop 8, and if you can’t stand it, then leave California. What’s next? Man-Boy love rights, marriages, spousal abuser rights – when does it end?