Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Respond to Injunction

Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Respond to Injunction

2688 same-sex couples on the waiting list to be married in San Francisco City Hall will have to wait until at least late May or early June to exchange vows legally in California. That is when The City will argue that it did not exceed its authority in refusing to enforce existing marriage statutes by marrying 4161 couples since it began issuing same-sex marriage licenses one month ago. The Supreme Court voted unanimously to halt the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses yesterday in response to two pending cases against The City, although there was no move to nullify already-issued licenses. Gay marriage advocates responded with a rally at Harvey Milk Plaza that proceeded to march to the Supreme Court steps in protest, but Mayor Newsom stated in a press conference following the injunction that the right to gay marriage is protected by the Equal Protection Amendment of the constitution. “The system is working” he said, “This interim stay is the next phase. I’m looking forward to arguing this case so that same-sex couples can enjoy the same basic rights as my wife and myself.”

Dale Schrodel and Lisa Honig were the last couple to be married before the County Clerk was ordered by Newsom to cease issuing licenses. Standing in City Hall with their daughter, they were happy that they made the deadline, but expressed regret for the couples that would now be denied. “This marriage is a political statement,” Schrodel said, “We’ve been together for 14 years and we’ve been married in our hearts for a long time, but it’s sad that other couples won’t get equal treatment.”

With blue skies and temperatures climbing towards 80 degrees, March 11 would have been a beautiful day to get married, but for Pali Cogren and Jenne Rizzo the nuptials would have wait. Their marriage was scheduled for 3 p.m., but a notice had been posted on the door of the County Clerk only moments before making them the first to be denied. Shocked, but determined, they hugged under the rotunda, and vowed to continue the battle. “It’s not about being on the threshold,” Cogren said, “It’s about all the people behind us. We aren’t getting relief from the pain of discrimination and we’re not going away.”

Although Newsom is confident that The Supreme Court will uphold The City’s stance, hundreds of people converged upon the intersection of Market and Castro Streets around five o’clock in a flash rally to protest the injunction. Under the ubiquitous rainbow banner, the fervently chanting protesters paraded down Market towards downtown, as bystanders cheered and waved from balconies and storefronts. A vanguard of police cleared the path for the crowd, whose overall mood seemed jubilant, despite the day’s setback. Nearing the courthouse steps, the din grew to a roar as Molly McKay of Marriage Equality California took the bullhorn and unleashed a tirade against the injunction, discrimination and President Bush’s proposed anti-gay marriage amendment. Amongst the sea of candles and “votetoimpeach.org” pickets came passionate shouts of compliance in response to McKay’s speech. “Let’s take this passion and fighting spirit and be love warriors!” she shouted.

When McKay introduced a gay couple from Boulder whose marriage had denied that afternoon, the crowd chanted “Marry them now!” Wearing matching tuxedos and purple leis, Ross Ladouceur and Stuart Sanders exchanged tearful vows of faith and devotion before locking lips amidst a flurry of flashes and cheers. Chants of “Spouses for life” consecrated this legally unrecognized union, before spontaneous renditions of “Stop in the Name of Love” and “What the World Needs Now” erupted in unison.

“I consider myself to be married now,” Sanders said. “We might not have a piece of paper from city hall, but if two drunk idiot in Vegas can get married by Elvis at three in the morning, why can’t we?”

Assemblyman Mark Leno then explained the parallels between the current battles for sexual-orientation equality in marriage with the struggle that mixed-race couples experience during the 1960’s, until such unions were legally-recognized by California in 1968. Other speakers raised immigration and financial benefits issues before yielding the steps to the Gay and Lesbian Choir. There were no counter-protesters at this rally.