Gay Marriage

Coming to a county clerk's site near you:

The California Supreme Court today rejected a bid to freeze last month's ruling legalizing gay marriage, paving the way for same-sex couples to begin walking down the aisle as soon as June 17.

Moving swiftly to remove legal uncertainty, the court turned a way a request from gay marriage foes to stay the ruling until after the November election, when voters will consider a ballot measure that would change the state Constitution to again outlaw same-sex weddings. The secretary of state earlier this week qualified the initiative for the November ballot.

The justices were divided 4-3 on whether to rehear their earlier decision, the same split that unfolded when the gay marriage case was decided in May. Conservative organizations, joined by 10 other states, asked the court to reopen the case, a move opposed by civil rights groups, San Francisco city officials and Attorney General Jerry Brown.

Some concern trolls think that watching couples gay marry each other for four months will hurt the chances of the constitutional amendment failing in November. I think the opposite. I think that seeing thousands of men and women engaging in a basic civil right and an expression of love will be powerful, especially to the new generation who will be decisive in this election. I think conservatives are in for a real wake-up call on this.