Not an unexpected turn of events this afternoon for California’s voter-approved constitutional amendment upholding traditional marriage. Up next: Appeal, then perhaps all the way to the Supremes. From the Los Angeles Times:
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, in a 136-page ruling, said California “has no interest in differentiating between same-sex and opposite-sex unions.”
“The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples,” Walker wrote. The ruling struck down Proposition 8 as a violation of federal constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.
Of course, the judge’s statement above completely ignores nature. Parsed, only “moral and religious views form . . . the basis for [traditional marriage]” is what he is saying. The irrationality of this statement is simply stunning.
The Times reports further that the judge stayed his order until Friday, allowing for the filing of appeals. No word yet when or where same-sex marriage licenses will resume in The Golden State.
