Court will hear the opposition to the Proposition

Some good news reaches us from the Golden State. The California Supreme Court has said it will hear a case against the passing of Proposition 8, the vote (held on the same day as the presidential election) that proposes a change in the State Constitution to make marriage strictly a man–woman affair.

Fifty-two per cent of voters polled in favour of Proposition 8, causing heartache and disappointment to those who planned to marry.

Around 18,000 gay and lesbian couples tied the knot between June, when the court struck down the ban that was in place, and November, when it was put back again, prompting some spirited opposition.

“If permitted to stand,” says a story in Pink News, “Proposition 8 would be the first time an initiative has successfully been used to change the California Constitution to take way an existing right only for a particular group. Such a change would defeat the very purpose of a constitution and fundamentally alter the role of the courts in protecting minority rights.”