Bastard out of California?

We'll know in a couple of hours. It sounds like the most likely scenario the pundits are proclaiming is that the the CA Supreme Court will uphold Prop 8 as well as the 18,000 or so marriages performed between May and November 2008. Like that's not going to be complicated, going forward.....and heaven forbid a couple from Iowa or Massachusetts moves to town. I mean, how is it that their marriage can't be recognized in California when other gay marriages are being recognized in the state? This is a compromise with immediate bad effects, and opens the door to lots more legal wrangling.

I would like to believe that the CA Supreme Court would give us a total victory, nullifying Prop 8. But no one else seems to be that optimistic. The particular legal reasoning in this case is kind of thin (though of course the cause is just). Upholding Prop 8 and nullifying the marriages is another possibility, but one that most aren't taking seriously. God help us if that's the case - and I don't see how that could be a victory for "pro-family" groups, as forced divorces (or annulments) in no way supports families.

I can foresee lots of possibilities, and what next steps might be if we are not victorious this round. Perhaps the most obvious strategy is for the CA groups who want to repeal Prop 8 to get their acts together, suck it up and act as ONE coordinated team, rather than a bunch of people pushing their way into the spotlight. Also, and it worked well here in Iowa - let gay couples tell their own stories about why marriage matters to them. Don't pretend this is just about "equality" and "fairness," and don't trot out the straight relatives of gays and lesbians to have them express their support for their family members. This is about SAME-SEX MARRIAGE EQUALITY. Let our people speak for themselves.