Sacramento, Calif., Nov 20, 2008 / 21:02 pm
The California Supreme Court has agreed to hear several legal challenges to Proposition 8, the successful 2008 ballot measure which overturned the court’s imposition of same-sex marriage on the state in May. Supporters of Proposition 8 responded by saying they are optimistic their victory will stand.
In agreeing to hear the three lawsuits, the court refused to grant a stay allowing same-sex marriages to resume before it rules on the suits’ merits. The court also explained it wished to address the effect of the proposition’s passage on the estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages contracted in California before Election Day, the Associated Press reports.
According to the Alliance Defense Fund, the lawsuits challenging the legality of Proposition 8 argue that the measure ignores the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group and claim that the successful proposition illegally revised the constitution instead of merely amending it.
According to the Associated Press, homosexual rights groups, local governments and California Attorney General Jerry Brown are among the petitioners in the lawsuits.