Culture

California Supreme Court Ruling on Prop 8 Gay Marriage Ban May 26

by Jarrett Martineau | May 21, 2009 at 10:01 pm

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UPDATE | May 22 — California's Supreme Court will issue its long-awaited decision on the state's controversial ban of gay marriage next Tuesday, May 26th at 10:00am PDT.

The Court will rule on the validity of Proposition 8 — a legal initiative to ban same-sex marriage in the state — that Californians voted to instate in a November 2008 vote.

Following the Prop 8 vote, California's Supreme Court agreed review the ban and to hear legal challenges that were "filed by groups of same-sex couples, a gay rights body and a group of local governments".

"Day of Decision" events are being planned across North America — here is a list of current locations.

Last week, overly enthusiastic users on Twitter incorrectly claimed that Prop 8 had been overturned, by mistakenly sharing a link to an outdated LA Times article that was from 2008.

For ongoing coverage of this story, please check out NowPublic's Special News Coverage of Proposition 8

Barricades have been sprouting up in the Castro district of San Francisco, and around the California Supreme Court building. Large scale rallies are being organized in San Diego, New York and San Francisco. To put it bluntly, you could cut the tension with a two-by-four.

Rumors that a decision will be handed down on Thursday, May 21, regarding the validity of Proposition 8 are rampant in the state, and precautions are being taken regardless of the sway of the ruling.

The California Supreme Court announces its decisions on Mondays and Thursdays and in most cases will give 24-hour advance notice of the announcement. The deadline for the court’s decision is June 3, 2009.

Ironically, Thursday, May 21 marks the 30th anniversary of the White Night Riot and Friday, May 22 is Harvey Milk’s birthday.