The following was posted to CNN.com today:
A federal appeals court ruled against California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, arguing the ban unconstitutionally singles out gays and lesbians for discrimination.
In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the state’s Proposition 8 “works a meaningful harm to gays and lesbians” by denying their right to civil marriage in violation of the 14th Amendment.
Appeals court rejects California’s Proposition 8 – CNN.com.
It was more than two years ago when I wrote the following iReport for CNN on the immediate reaction in San Diego to the passing of Prop 8.
The following from: iReport posted on May 30, 2009
I was at work when the California Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold Proposition 8. Several of us stood around a computer, watching a live stream from CNN. When the announcement came through, there was a mixed set of emotions felt by everyone in the room as we all fell silent. Anger was at the top of that list. Confusion and disbelief then followed.
By the time I got out of work at 4:00 pm, hundreds had already started to gather in Balboa Park; ready to march to the San Diego Hall of Justice. The crowd grew to what seemed like two thousand or more when we finally started walking toward downtown.
Despite the passionate emotions of everyone in the crowd, the walk was a peaceful one. It was loud, but peaceful. As we walked, our anger was slightly overpowered by an immense sense of pride. We all realized that we are not alone in this fight. We have friends. We have a community. The gay population may be a minority, but it is not willing to lie down and surrender to the oppressive dictations of the ‘majority’.
There are a few ironies that I noticed as I walked with the crowd, taking what pictures I could along the way. The first: my family is from Iowa, a state that now recognizes same-sex marriage. The second: I was in the Castro District with my boyfriend, Andres, and best friend, Danny, only two days before the Supreme Court announced its decision.
I’ve often felt that the current gay teenage population lacked a sense of respect for the struggles suffered and overcome by the gay community during the Gay Rights Movement of the 1970′s. But this has changed in the last months. The ruling on Prop 8 has opened the eyes and ears of the next generation to the fight.
