Cali appeals court delivers less than appealing decision

« Go back a post || Return to G-A-Y homepage || Haul tail to next post »

10/05/2006

by Jeremy Hooper

Reversing Judge Richard Kramer's 2005 Superior Court ruling, a California state appeals court ruled today that the Golden State's same-sex marriage ban does not violate the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians. A concept that confuses this gay, who feels just a lil' bit unequal every year around tax time, when he and his partner file separate tax returns while his married-for-less-than-six-months heterosexual neighbors reap the benefits of a joint return. Or when his independently employed self pays the bill for his health insurance every month, since his partner's company doesn't recognize our legal domestic partnership in the same benefits-offering way they do heterosexual marriage. Or when he looks on his counter and doesn't see the Williams-Sonoma waffle iron that's been living in his mind's wedding registry for the past two years.

But I digress.

The court followed the common "the Legislature or voters must decide this issue" tract, which is super-annoying when you consider the legislature ALREADY DID approve gay marriage last year, it was just vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger (who said it was up to voters or the courts). Our idea: JUST SOMEBODY F***ING DO IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

The case will now be appealed to the Cali Supreme Court. Will that court be the one last hoop through which Cali gays will have to jump, or will they simply serve as yet another roadblock on the seemingly endless path to gay marriage? Either way, there's absolutely no stopping this train, so the sooner society gets on board, the sooner we can all move on and discuss "issues" that are actually, oh, i don't know -- issues!

PDF of Court's decision [FIRST DISTRICT, COURT OF APPEAL]
Gay marriage dealt defeat in California [AP via Yahoo News]

***Thanks to Justice Anthony Kline for his strong, reasoned dissent!

Technorati Tags: California, gay marriage