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GUEST: Ben Patrick Johnson, sits on the Board of Directors of the Equality California Institute

The California Supreme Court last week in a 4-3 decision, overturned this state’s ban on same-sex marriage chalking up a huge victory for gay rights advocates across the nation. The ruling overturned Proposition 22 which was passed by voters in 2000 as a result of a heavily financed effort by religious right wing groups. As part of its ruling, the state’s highest court said Proposition 22 barred the California Legislature from broadening marriage rights to same-sex couples without a vote of the people. But it also rejected an array of legal justifications for excluding gays and lesbians from marriage, including the arguments by the religious right that gay marriage weakens the institution of marriage. The court ruling could allow same-sex couples to tie the knot in as little as a month. But right wing groups are already mobilizing to put a constitutional amendment nearly identical to Prop 22 on this November’s ballot to undo the Supreme Court ruling. All three presidential candidates oppose a federal bill legalizing gay marriage but support equality in legal benefits and for states to make their own decision on the subject.

For more information, visit www.eqca.org.

Uprising Special Invitation: If you are in a same-sex relationship and are planning to marry, Uprising and KPFK would like to invite you to broadcast your wedding on our airwaves, live on this program. If you would like to get married on Pacifica Radio, email us as soon as possible at mail@uprisingradio.org. We will accept only the first couple that contacts us.