Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, today lauded the decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco that California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage violates the Constitution’s 14th Amendment equal protection clause. In his ruling, Walker wrote that the law “fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples.”
Grijalva said of the ruling, “It’s good to see the courts respect Constitutional protections for citizens. As we’ve seen over the past few days, many conservatives interpret the Constitution to mean whatever they want it to mean for their own political ends. I’m glad to see the importance of equal civil rights for all Americans reaffirmed by this ruling.”
Walker found in his ruling that Proposition 8 “fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license” and ordered the ban immediately lifted to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.