Jim Brown, executive director at the Diversity Center in Santa Cruz, said he was incredibly happy when he and millions of other Americans heard that the California Supreme Court voted 4-3 Thursday to legalize same-sax marriages.
Brown said he's happy to know the court is confirming the right of two people who love each other. Brown had believed this day would come and he was pleasantly surprised, he said.
Same-sex couples who plan to get married have to wait 30 days before the law is in place. The 30-day period is to allow clerks' offices to work with the State Office of Vital Records to revise the marriage license, according to a press release from San Benito County.
Lillian Perreira, assistant clerk recorder of San Benito County, said that on the day of the ruling the office received four phone calls from couples who wanted to get married.
The Supreme Court took the case over a year ago and started hearing it this past March. The case has been working its way up to the high court for four years after the marriages in San Francisco, previously ruled legal there, were legally invalidated.
Merrie Schaller, co-chairwoman of the Santa Cruz County LGBT alliance, said she had thought the court would hand over the case to the California Legislature. The next step is to figure out how to change marriage papers, she said.
"Oh my God, we won," Schaller said. "I'm shocked, stunned and thrilled."
Schaller said she didn't think this day would come. If same-sex couples aren't equal, then others would look at them as second-class citizens, she said. Same sex couples are equal, she said.
Opponents are already talking about placing a question on the statewide November ballot to overturn the ruling and define marriage as being between a man and a woman. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he would not go against the Supreme Court ruling and would not oppose the decision.
Maria Fortes with Salinas Valley Pride Group said Schwarzenegger has made a commitment that if a Constitutional amendment came up, he would respect the decision of the court. People are trying to get more signatures to ban same-sex marriages, Fortes said.
"I don't see that happening," Fortes said.
Fortes said she was shocked and very excited when she found out. Fortes didn't think same-sex marriages would become legal this quick, she said.
"(It's) hard to concentrate," Fortes said.
Massachusetts and California are the only states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Massachusetts started same-sex marriages in 2004, after many states approved Constitutional bans on them.
States that recognize civil unions with most state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples are Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Rhode Island is the only state that recognizes same-sex marriages from other states.
Arizona was the first state to reject a measure to ban same-sex marriages with an amendment.
Updated information about how to obtain a marriage license and arrange a ceremony will be posted at www.sbcvote.us.
States that have banned same-sex marriages:
Arkansas
Michigan
Nebraska
Colorado
Mississippi
Nevada
Wisconsin
Montana
New Hampshire
S. Carolina
N. Dakota
S. Dakota
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Ohio
Virginia
Utah
Idaho
Louisiana
Georgia
Oregon
Kentucky
Missouri
Kristen Tolleson Kristen Tolleson covers San Benito County and education for the Free Lance. Contact her at ktolleson@freelancenews.com or (831) 637-5566, ext. 335.
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