Governor Schwarzenegger Supports Court's Rulling on Same-Sex Marriage

Opponents' arguments and actions against the California Supreme Court's recent May 15th decision to overturn the ban on gay marriage are underway. Their decision made waves among same-sex couples and supporters in the state. The new ruling will not become official immediately, as couples will have to wait a whole month before they can actually legally get married, no longer being denied the marriage licenses that heterosexual unions have been allowed for so long. Same-sex marriage has for years been a controversial hot-button issue throughout the state and the rest of the nation. California law has, until recently, defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Although Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says that he shares in this personal belief, he says that he supports the court's decision on the issue. This is a clear change, since Schwarzenegger has vetoed bills to legalize marriage for gay couples twice in the past. He says he will make good on promises he made while talking to a group of gay Republicans that he plans to campaign against the Limit on Marriage initiative. The Governor's response as to why he is supportive of homosexual unions although his personal views differ was, "But I don't want to make everyone else go in that direction." Schwarzenegger said he had vetoed same-sex marriage legislation prior, because it was his feeling that the Legislature shouldn't override voter-approved Proposition 22. He has also said that it is different in his eyes when the Supreme Court overturns a voter enacted initiative. It seems that he feels it is up to the courts to decide what is constitutionally right, not the people. Schwarzenegger has said that although gay marriage is something that he hasn't felt forcefully about, he does support the belief that this type of union should have the same rights as a heterosexual one. With the California Supreme Court's ruling and the support of the Governor, it would seem difficult at the least for a change in this matter which those against same-sex marriage hope for.

Opponents of same-sex marriage still plan to ask the California Supreme Court to delay implementing its change allowing gay couples to marry in the state so that those on both sides of this controversial debate can get ready for the November ballot act directed at reversing the court's decision. Mathew Staver, who is a lawyer for Campaign for California Families, which is one of the many organizations planning to contend to preserve the prior marriage ban, said that a motion to extend the waiting period to November will be filed soon. Another measure has also been taken by foes of homosexual marriage, a petition for a November ballot measure banning the unions by amending the state constitution has gathered many more than the required amount, over 1.1 million signatures. It was given to election officials in hopes of going in favor of defining marriages as opposite sex only. It will no doubt continue to cause a stir in California, as it will in the rest of the nation as the final candidates gear up for the Presidency. Their stance on this subject will most likely be important to gay voters in hopes of attaining the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. The recent rulings and the ones to come will be a groundbreaking part of history and will change the face of what marriage is in the eyes of many.