FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orange Countians Cancel Wedding Plans
Orange County, CA — Wedding bells will not be ringing for same sex couples in Orange County, or anywhere else in California, this Thursday. Wedding planning began as soon as Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the stay preventing the issuance of marriage licenses would be lifted at 5 PM Wednesday evening. Orange County Equality Coalition had planned for a wedding reception themed celebration at the historic Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana for this Thursday, but those plans are on hold. “A lot of people are really, really disappointed,” said Cas Gregory, OCEC’s Chair, “including my fiancée and me. This affects us very personally.”
“Immeasurable harm is being done every day that goes by that couples are not allowed the protections afforded them by legal marriage,” said Natalie Garth an attorney who formerly practiced in Arizona. She enumerated the right to make life or death decisions for a spouse, the right to inherit, the right to be included in a medical plan, the right to automatic receipt of life insurance proceeds, the right to sue for wrongful death, the right to have the protection of community property, while significant, “were all less important than the social and psychological impact of being treated as second class citizens.”
The prevailing attitude is “don‘t get mad, get even“ through political organizing and action. “I am disappointed that gay and lesbian couples will not get to marry this week, but I am hopeful that equality will come one day soon. This back and forth has made one thing very clear; we cannot stop our work until equality has been permanently restored,” said Daniel Shad, Orange County Regional Field Manager, Equality California.
“There are three branches of government in the U.S. and the courts are there to protect us from those times when democracy turns into mob rule, “ said Audrey Prosser, long time equal rights activist in Orange County and Chair of Laguna Beach Democratic Club. “An electorate can be fooled into depriving a minority of their civil rights for only so long. Then we educate them that they could be next. Who knows what rights could be voted away if this stands.” She urged people to get more information and to get involved in local and state politics.
Dave Hoen , one of the organizers of Gay Neighbors, Family and Friends of Santa Ana, pointed out that a lot of groups have formed and a lot of people got active in the wake of Proposition 8. He speculated that people, especially younger people, were taking their freedoms for granted and did not realize the level of animosity that still exists against lesbians and gays. “I have been amazed at the level of outrage and support from straight people, especially young straight kids. They just assumed everyone would be treated fairly, then they see this.”
“Marriage equality is inevitable,” says Alex Gorman, Chair of Orange County Action Network. “The time is now. People have been made to wait too long. Equal protection is equal protection, for everyone.”
These activists believe that every day that goes by without the right to marry is a day when serious legal and financial harm could occur, to say nothing of the psychological and emotional toll of being treated as second class citizens, as “less than” straight members of the community.
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It ain’t over until it is over.
In my opinion it is good decision for America.
Alternatively, lets build the mosque in the ground zero and let gay merry in the mosque under the friendly Muslim traditions.
Lets see how that will go.
I’d been kind of waiting until there was actual good news. Until then all the assholes are just going to be laughing at us. Realistically it looks like marriage will be happening again around December. There’s not much news in this note from OCEC. Here’s a clearer explanation of what’s going on, from BeDevine at Calitics.com:
“First, and drastically most importantly, the Court granted the stay. Consequently the thousands of couples who were waiting for the day of equality will have to wait at least a few more months until December. It’s interesting that the panel does not at all discuss the reasons for their decision on the motion to stay. That’s because if they went through the factors, there’s no way they could rationalize the stay. They themselves raise the issue of standing and express an inclination that the case should be dismissed on that basis. How, then, could they possibly determine that the Appellants have a “high likelihood of success on the merits”? And how can they show that the Appellants will suffer any harm if loving couples in California are allowed to marry each other?
“Second, the Court wants this case to be resolved quickly. Appellants’ opening brief is due in just a month and the hearing will happen on December 6th. This is lightning quick for a Federal Court of Appeals, and it’s a very good sign. The Court understands that this case is important, and it doesn’t want it to linger.
“Third, the Court specifically orders the Prop 8 proponents to show why this case should not be dismissed for lack of standing. Here’s a discussion of the standing issue. This is very good news for us. It shows that the Court has serious doubts about whether the Appellants have standing. Even better, the Court is expressing an opinion that its inclination is that the case should be dismissed. That being said, the panel that issued this Order (the motions panel) is not the same panel that will hear that case on the merits. The merits panel will be selected shortly before December 6th and we don’t know the three judges who will be on the merits panel. But this is a very good sign that the appeal could be dismissed on the ground of standing alone.”
I do not know the details nor do I care but, I recall that the prior of punting the prop. 8 on the ballot the legality of prop 8 was challenged and approved by same court.
Courts usually do not reverse themselves unless some major error happens.
I would look closely into that decision for an answer.
The Ninth District ruled on the proposition prior to being on the ballot? Really? What world do you live in?
Everyone of age has the right to mary someone of the opposite sex. How is it discrminatory that no one can mary someone of the same sex? Seems simple to me.