NEWS
(Updated Aug 12, 2009)

August 12, 2009: Equality California announces plan to win back marriage rights in 2012

May 26: 2009: California Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8; 18,000 same-sex marriages are still valid.

November 20, 2008: Proposition 8 Validity to be considered by California Supreme Court

November 5, 2008: LA Jewish Vote Overwhelmingly “NO” on Proposition 8 (78%)

November 4, 2008: Proposition 8 Passes with Slim Majority

October 20, 2008: LA Times: Our Own Rabbi Lisa Edwards Presides Over Dozens of Same-Sex Weddings!

October 10, 2008: Connecticut Ruling Overturns Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making the state the third to legalize such unions.

September 26, 2008: Board of Rabbis of Southern California Oppose Proposition 8

September 18, 2008: Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis (PARR) supports a “No” vote on Proposition 8

August 8, 2008: Prop. 8 Title and Summary Upheld

In agreement with Attorney General Jerry Brown, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled today that the Title and Summary of Proposition 8 that will be included in November’s ballot pamphlet is accurate. The Title explains that Prop. 8 “eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry.”

Judge Frawley heard arguments from both sides of Prop. 8 this week, and ruled in favor of the opponents of the proposition.

July 28, 2008: Prop. 8 ballot summary changed

The original ballot summary, written by the attorney general's office in 2007, described the measure as amending the state constitution to "provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." But the new version, rewritten after the state Supreme Court's legalization of gay marriage in May, says the measure would "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."

See Advocate Magazine’s Analysis

June 16, 2008: Same-Sex Weddings Begin in California.

June 3, 2008 - Gay Marriage Ban Qualifies for Ballot
Click to read NY Times article

May 28, 2008 - California Majority Back Gay Marriage
Click to read SF Chronicle article

May 22, 2008 - Rabbi Lisa Edwards, “Gay marriage ruling brings joy, faces fight”
Click to read Op Ed in LA Jewish Journal

May 22, 2008 - Robin Tyler: Let Them Eat Cake
An article that says it all from one of the same-sex marriage litigants.

May 15, 2008- California Supreme Court rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage!
Click for NY Times Article
Click for Full Text
Click for FAQ about Getting Married in California

Governor calls Same-Sex Marriage Ban via Constitutional Amendment a ”Total Waste of Time”
(04-12) 04:00 PDT Sacramento --
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a group of gay Republicans on Friday that
an attempt to ban same-sex marriage by changing the state Constitution is
a "total waste of time" and promised to oppose such an initiative if it
qualifies for the state ballot.

Psychoanalysts Support Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage

NEW YORK, March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) has issued a position statement supporting the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage while opposing discrimination against same-sex couples. In recognition that gay and lesbian couples are raising children and possess the same potential and desire for life-long relationships as their heterosexual counterparts, the APsaA seeks to assist in ending the government-sanctioned discrimination against homosexual couples that denies them over 1,000 federal rights and benefits. For full text of the APsaA Marriage Resolution, please visit:

http://www.apsa.org/ABOUTAPSAA/POSITIONSTATEMENTS/MARRIAGERESOLUTION/tabid/470/Default.aspx

  January 2008: California Fundamentalist Churches and Anti-Gay Organizations Gearing Up to Prohibit Same-Sex Marriage

Signature Gathering Begins for Ballot Proposition to Amend the California Constitution

See http://www.protectmarriage.com/)

  From California Secretary of State Web Site:

 1298. (07-0068)

  Limit on Marriage. Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 11/29/07 Circulation Deadline: 04/28/08 Signatures Required: 694,354

Proponents: Dennis Hollingsworth, Gail J. Knight, Martin F. Gutierrez, Hak-Shing William Tam, and Mark A. Jansson c/o Andrew Pugno (916) 608-3065

Amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: The measure would have no fiscal effect on state or local governments. This is because there would be no change to the manner in which marriages are currently recognized by the state. (Initiative 07-0068.) (Full Text)

Jewish Theological Seminary (NY) and Ziegler School at American Jewish University (LA)

To Admit Openly Gay Applicants

(March 26, 2007)

See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070326/ap_on_re_us/conservative_jews_gays

Conservative Movement Leaders Favor Gay Rabbis, Marriage

A new study released on Jan. 31 reveals that the overwhelming majority of clergy, professional staff, and lay leaders in the Conservative Movement support same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis and cantors. The study, conducted by Dr. Steven Cohen on behalf of the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Conservative Movement seminary in New York, comes as Conservative Jews worldwide debate how to proceed in light of a new rabbinic ruling that paved the way for gay and lesbian rabbis. For more on the study and its findings go to this article in the Forward:http://www.forward.com/articles/poll-conservative-leaders-back-gay-rabbis/

Jerusalem Registers its First Gay Couple

On Monday, Jerusalem officials, for the first time, registered a gay couple as married. The couple, Binyamin and Avi Rose, married in Toronto on June 28 and quickly returned to Jerusalem. The registration comes three months after Israel’s High Court ruled that same-sex couples can be listed in the Interior Ministry’s Population Registry. To read the Jerusalem Post’s article on the event, please visit: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1167467842994

Conservative Jewish Movement: Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly

Approves Gay Ordination and Same-Sex Marriage

On December 6, 2006, the highest legal body in Conservative Judaism, the centrist movement in

worldwide Jewry, voted yesterday to allow the ordination of gay rabbis

and the celebration of same-sex commitment ceremonies.

The decision, which followed years of debate, was denounced by

traditionalists in the movement as an indication that Conservative

Judaism had abandoned its commitment to adhere to Jewish law, but celebrated by

others as a long-awaited move toward full equality for gay people.

But in a reflection of the divisions in the movement, the 25 rabbis on

the law committee passed three conflicting legal opinions: one in favor of

gay rabbis and unions, and two against.In doing so, the committee left it up to

individual synagogues to decide whether to accept or reject gay rabbis and

commitment ceremonies, saying that either course is justified according to Jewish law.

See links to full texts of responsas:

RIGHTIST

Rabbi Leonard Levy Responsa Link- 6 votes (Minority Opinion)

Rabbi Joel Roth Responsa Link- 13 votes (Majority opinion)

CENTRIST

Rabbis Elliot Dorff, Daniel Nevins & Avram Reisner Gay Ordination & Marriage Responsa Link- 13 votes (Majority opinion)

LEFTIST

Rabbi Gordon Tucker Responsa Link 7 votes (but defeated as a takkanah requiring 13 votes)

Rabbis Myron Geller, Robert Fine, & David Fine Responsa Link 6 votes (but defeated as a takkanah requiring 13 votes)

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California Likely Voters Approve Same-Sex Marriage (September 30, 2006)

Results reported on page 29 of newly released PPIC (Public Policy Institute of CA) poll: 

Likely voters approve same-sex marriage  47% to 46% (first favorable plurality). 

58% of Democratic likely voters approve

49% of Independent likely voters approve