Gay Marriage in California Again?

Jan. 13, 2010 Gay Marriage in California -Revisited in the Courtroom

The plaintiffs in the case of Prop 8 Appeal or gay marriage revisited which is a civil rights matter in the California state court wished to have the case televised or broadcast during the trial. Gay marriage in California is being re-visited on the civil rights platform which has significant impact on gay society in a democratic world.

Over 138,000 made comments to the court in favor of televising the proceedings and the opening statements began on Monday. Ted Olson is one of the lead attorneys for gay marriage, began the discussion by stating Proposition 8 was unconstitutional and gave examples of the harm of this law.

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Ted Olsen’s opening statement:

During this trial, Plaintiffs and leading experts in the fields of history, psychology, economics and political science will prove three fundamental points:

First – Marriage is vitally important in American society.

Second – By denying gay men and lesbians the right to marry, Proposition 8 works a grievous harm on the plaintiffs and other gay men and lesbians throughout California, and adds yet another chapter to the long history of discrimination they have suffered.

Third – Proposition 8 perpetrates this irreparable, immeasurable, discriminatory harm for no good reason.”

Olsen was followed by a Chief Deputy attorney in San Francisco Therese Walker who added that there was increasing hate crimes in California against gays and their rights.

Olsen also pointed out that it was the court’s responsibility to intervene when unjust legislation is allowed to harm cititzens. Judge Walker also challenged the defendant Cooper to prove how gay marriage impacts the lives of heterosexuals.

Other witnesses declared that the denial of gay marriages rendered them as “less than equal” or second class citizens without the rights that others enjoy in the ability to get married gays are denied this fundamental right and it defies the constitution of the United States.

If you follow other countries such as Canada that have allowed under the Federal and provincial laws that gays can marry there has been no such negative impact to society or to heterosexual marriages. Spain, England and other countries have followed suit and have allowed either all in out gay marriage or gay unions to have the same legal rights as heterosexual marriages and the full benefits of those institutions under their cosntitutions.

All except the United States where gays have had to fight tooth and nail for their rights in each state and fight on to obtain the right to marry under the law. Legally recognized benefits of gays number into the thousands and these rights are being denied to them. This marriage law is pivitol to protect the rights of the few which are being denied by the majority and that in itself is illegal.

Ads from the anti-gay movement which is comprised more often by Republicans, right wing activists, religious right activists, the Churches of America, and other similar groups are denying that gays have any rights.

In the display of the anti-gay advertisements displayed last year in 2009 where the anti-gay marriage advocates launched media, radio, internet ads -which cost millions of dollars paid through the religious groups and the republican members were very harmful and demeaning to gays.

One witness Paul Katami indicated how it made him feel to view these “hate ads against gay marriage” broadcast in the media. Paul stated it made him feel bad, and the image of an oncoming freight train that will kill you made him feel that he was part of a community that would kill people? He also stated he wished to marry his partner and not start a movement that was going to harm people or children.

Again if you take the example of Canadian society and the gay marriage laws that the conservative government tried to block there has been no such harm done to Canadian heterosexuals. There has been no madness and forced marriages or harm to children and the Canadian law has been in effect for over 4-5 years.

Other gay plaintiffs gave their testimony as did Jeff Zarillo that stated not only does Prop 8 cause him harm but has caused a backlash of other states who mounted anti-gay marriage campaigns spending millions of dollars to deny marriage rights and defying the US constitution and he is right.

The California marriage Prop 8 ban aganst gay marriage has caused a backlash to survive which has spread like a cancer to other states where financial deep pockets of the religious right have launched a campaign of denial of rights to gays.

TAGS: California Gay Marriage Laws, Gay marriage in California, Prop 8, Televised Prop 8 Trial California, Ted Olsen, Theodore Ted Olsen, Gay Marriage under the constitution.