Calif. Judge: Gay Marriage Decision My Toughest

(NEWSER) - Protesters around California are gearing up for tomorrow's state Supreme Court session on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter referendum that banned gay marriage, the Los Angeles Times reports. The decision isn’t due for 3 months, but the opinion is already written, and the court's stand may be revealed in the judges' responses to oral arguments, which will be televised. More»

(NEWSER) - If California’s gay marriage ban passes, “legal chaos” will ensue for those who tied the knot since it became legal to do so in June, lawyers warn. With no court precedents, experts are left guessing whether those marriages would remain valid, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ultimately, the decision would lie with the state’s Supreme Court, which voted 4 to 3 for gay marriage. More»

But conservative ax looms over ceremonies

(NEWSER) - San Francisco officials are preparing for an expected tidal wave of weddings this evening as gay marriage officially becomes legal in California at 5pm. But celebrations could be short-lived if a November initiative blocks the court decision that paved the way for the marriages. The San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at California’s support of gay marriage, which at 51% is higher than ever—but so is the vehemence of the opposition. More»

Conservative groups aiming to have ban back in November

(NEWSER) - Organizations staunchly opposed to same-sex unions are already mobilizing to reinstate a ban on gay marriages that was struck down yesterday by California's Supreme Court, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The coalition intends to hammer home the fact that four judges have "overturned the will" of millions of voters who approved the ban in a 2000 vote, said a spokeswoman for a conservative group in Sacramento. More»

(NEWSER) - One of California's biggest and most influential gay rights groups says it will delay a ballot push to overcome the state's ban on same-sex marriage until 2012, the Los Angeles Times reports. Equality California, which led the failed effort to defeat Prop 8 in November, says there is too little time to raise the millions of dollars necessary for a 2010 offensive. More»