San Francisco, Calif., Mar 14, 2005 / 22:00 pm
A judge ruled yesterday that California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
“The idea that marriage-like rights without marriage is adequate smacks of a concept long rejected by the courts — separate but equal," wrote Judge Richard Kramer of San Francisco County's Superior Court. He added that there appears “no rational purpose” for denying same-sex marriage.
"For a single judge to rule there is no conceivable purpose for preserving marriage as one man and one woman is mind-boggling," said Mathew Staver, president of the pro-traditional marriage Liberty Counsel. "This decision will be gasoline on the fire of the pro-marriage movement in California as well as the rest of the country.”
Randy Thomasson, Executive Director of Campaign for California Families, said "this is a crazy ruling by an arrogant San Francisco judge who apparently hates marriage and the voters. Kramer has trashed the people's vote to keep marriage for a man and a woman and violated his oath to uphold the law instead of making new laws out of his own head. This is the worst type of judge. This case will be immediately appealed."