The California Supreme Court refused to delay its "gay marriage" decision, clearing the way for same-sex couples to get married as soon as June 17, according to media reports Thursday.
The Campaign for California Families and the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund had petitioned for a delay citing the confusion that would be created if a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman succeeds in November.
Acting in closed session, the court voted 4 to 3 to reject petitions that it reconsider its May 15 ruling.
The court also refused to delay the effective date of the decision until after the November election.
"Lesbian and gay couples in California will be able to marry on an equal basis starting on June 17," said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "Every day, public support for the freedom to marry is growing."
The California Supreme Court ruled on May 15, 2008, that the state cannot bar same-sex marriages, marking a major victory for gay rights advocates that may have national implications.
Massachusetts is the only U.S. state before California Supreme Court's decision to allow gay marriage. Its highest court ruled in 2003 that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, paving the way for America's first same-sex marriages the following year.
Currently, 45 states in U.S. have laws explicitly prohibiting same-sex marriage, including 26 with constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman and 19 with statutory laws barring same-sex unions.
Source:Xinhua
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