San Diegans react to Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego-area supporters of same-sex marriage hailed
Wednesday's decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court to reject an appeal by supporters
of voter-passed Proposition 8 in California and to strike down the federal
Defense of Marriage Act.

Meanwhile, backers of the proposition, which limited marriage in the
state to one man and one woman, said they will continue their legal battle.

“Today's rulings are a legal home run for civil rights,” said District
Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who is married to another woman. “The U.S. Supreme
Court has recognized the promise of equality that is a fundamental part of our
constitution and as a result, same-sex couples will no longer be treated as
second-class citizens at the federal level and in California.”

She said it was especially gratifying to know that same-sex couples will
be eligible for federal benefits because of the DOMA ruling.

Delores Jacobs, chief executive officer of The LGBT Community Center in
Hillcrest, said the rulings were “civil rights decisions for the history
books.”

“This is nothing short of monumental,” Jacobs said. “For
Californians, the decision on Proposition 8 will close the door on an ugly
chapter in our state's history, where for the first — and hopefully only —
time we allowed our state constitution to be cheapened and soiled by writing
into it discrimination against a particular group of Californians.”

Ex-San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has a lesbian daughter, said the
ruling “marks a significant victory for our country and for marriage
equality.”

“This means that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional and cannot be
enforced, and I am glad that Governor Brown is already pushing for same-sex
marriages to resume in California,” Sanders said. “As many of you know, this
issue is very personal for me and for my family. I will continue to speak out
on this issue until equality is provided for all couples.”

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, said, “I am elated to know
that same-sex couples now have the opportunity to marry and look forward to
celebrating with friends who are no longer legally barred from pursuing their
own happiness, regardless of who they love.

“Today is a great day to celebrate a renewed commitment to equal
treatment and respect of one another, but I pledge to defend equal rights for
all people as the injustice created by inequality still persists in many
corners of our society,” the lawmaker said.

Equality is never achieved easily, but is worth fighting for, Gonzalez
said.

San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Francine Busby said, “We are
all lifted up when freedom and opportunity expand to include more people.
That's a core Democratic value — and a deeply American value. And that's why
the fight for full equality must continue, for marriage and for all civil
rights.”

At a news conference in front of the U.S. District Courthouse in
downtown San Diego, supporters of traditional marriage said they would continue
the fight.

Charles LiMandri, a Rancho Santa Fe attorney who worked on Proposition
8, said the ruling on the initiative was only over standing, not the merits.

“If the governor orders county clerks to start issuing marriage
licenses (to same-sex couples), I can guarantee there's going to be litigation
to stop that,” LiMandri said.

“The will of the 7 million Californians who voted for Proposition 8
deserves to be vindicated until we have a clear and decisive ruling from the
highest court,” LiMandri said. “The United States Supreme Court could easily
have said Proposition 8 is struck down — same-sex couples can get married in
California. They didn't do that.”

Jennifer Roback Morse, founder of The Ruth Institute, said the rulings
bring some disappointment, but there is “more than a glimmer of hope” for the
grassroots Californians who support the proposition.

“The ordinary people of this country, of all races, of all religions,
of all political parties, support traditional marriage,” said Morse, whose
organization campaigns for marriage between a man and a woman.

Dran Reese, director of the Salt and Light Council, said the high court
rulings were “unfair and unjust” and “brought shame to America.”

Reese, whose Solana Beach-based group promotes biblical moral values in
the public sector, said gays and lesbians want the legalization of same-sex
marriage to justify “ungodly behavior.”

Sen. Joel Anderson, R-El Cajon, said, “Religious liberties have been
put at further risk because the governor and the attorney general allowed their
personal views to cloud their professional responsibility to defend Proposition
8 in federal court, but I will continue to defend the traditional definition of
marriage — that is marriage between one man and one woman.”