Schwarzenegger wants resumption of same-sex marriages

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6

-- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown filed court papers in San Franscisco Friday calling for the resumption of same-sex marriages in the state.

Allowing same-sex weddings to resume immediately would be in the public interest, attorneys for Schwarzenegger and Brown said in the court papers.

"Doing so is consistent with California's long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect," the attorneys wrote. "Conversely, the administration submits that staying the court's judgment pending appeal is not necessary to protect any governmental or public interest."

The motions came two days after U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California's voter-approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, as unconstitutional.

In a 136-page ruling, Walker wrote that the proposition "both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation."

But Walker issued a stay on the ruling, meaning same-sex marriages will not immediately resume in the state.

Supporters of Proposition 8 had asked for the stay, saying allowing couples to marry pending the appeal would create confusion if Walker's ruling was eventually overturned.

Attorneys on both sides of the case filed court papers this week as Walker considers whether to keep the stay in place or allow same-sex marriages to resume.

Supporters of Proposition 8 have filed an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the case is widely expected to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In their legal motions, Schwarzenegger and Brown want government officials to "resume issuing such licenses without administrative delay or difficulty."

"As the court has pointed out, California has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples without suffering any resulting harm," the court papers said.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

Sphere: Related Content