The gay marriage ban in California was overturned today by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that the ban is “unconstitutional”. The case was brought to court by two gay couples who filed a lawsuit, saying that Prop 8 was a violation of their civil rights. Judge Walker agreed, stating that the ruling “vindicates the rights of a minority of our citizens to be treated with decency and respect and equality in our system.” Prop 8 was passed by popular-vote in November 2008 to utter shock of many other Californians who believed their rights to be protected and just five months after Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. Supporters of the ban claimed that it “was necessary to safeguard the traditional understanding of marriage and to encourage responsible childbearing.” The religious and conservative groups that sponsored Prop 8 (the most expensive political campaign on a social issue in the history of the United States) claimed that around the world there is a “common sense belief that children do best when they are raised by their own mother and father.” However, Walker ruled that the California law was a violation of specific clauses of the Constitution and that there was no sufficient rational basis for separating out same-sex couples by denying them a marriage license. Although the ruling was in favor of LGBT marriage, gay and lesbian marriage in California will not be allowed right away as the Judge is deciding whether to wait until the supporters of the ban bring their appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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