[This is a major victory! Thankfully, public pressure has made the California Supreme Court take the right stand. This decision that "domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage" is to the left of Obama and Clinton, both of whom oppose Gay/Lesbian marriage. -Steven Argue]

May 15, 2008

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 1:05 p.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The California Supreme Court has overturned a ban on gay marriage, paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry.

The justices released the 4-3 decision Thursday, saying that domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

The cases were brought by the city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples, Equality California and another gay rights group in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco's month-long same-sex wedding march that took place at Mayor Gavin Newsom's direction.