CALIFORNIA has granted same-sex couples the constitutional right to marry, overturning a previous ruling, Proposition 22, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
The Bishop of California, the Rt Revd Marc Andrus, welcomed the ruling, but acknowledged that it would have “ecclesial implications” for the diocese.
“All children of God should be afforded the same rights under the law,” he said.
The Bishop of Los Angeles, the Rt Revd Jon Bruno, also welcomed the ruling. He said in a statement: “We will continue to advocate for equality in the future, and will do so at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which will meet in Anaheim in 2009.”
The California Catholic Bishops’ Conference described the traditional definition of marriage in Proposition 22 as “a biological reality and a social good”. A statement said: “Catholic teaching maintains that marriage is a faithful, exclusive and lifelong union between one man and one woman.”
Massachusetts is the only other state to have given same-sex couples the right to marry. Others have ruled that restricting marriage to heterosexual couples is not discriminatory.
Campaigners are already preparing to mount a challenge. The executive director of the National Organization for Marriage California, Brian Brown, said; “A state marriage amendment is the only way to out Proposition 22 safely from the reach of activist judges who cannot tell the difference between marriage and bigotry.”
His organisation has collected more than 1.1 million signatures, giving it the right to put a constitutional amendment to a referen-
dum in November which could overturn the decision. Reports say there is a strong body of opinion in California which does not object to domestic partnerships, but has reservations about gay marriage.
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