Leno Responds to Supreme Court Decision Regarding Proposition 8

SAN FRANCISCO – Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) released this statement today following the California Supreme Court opinion that allows the proponents of Proposition 8 to defend the ballot measure in court. Prop. 8, which was approved by voters in November of 2008, prevents same-sex couples from marrying in California.

“Today’s decision by the California Supreme Court simply means that we continue forward in our fight to achieve full equality for all couples in California. We expect the legal challenge to Proposition 8 to be a long one, and this is merely a small bump in that road. I am confident that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will agree with the lower court’s ruling that Proposition 8 unfairly denies same-sex couples the constitutional right to marry. Ultimately, we will be victorious in our quest to achieve equal rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.”

Senator Mark Leno represents California’s 3rd Senate District, which includes Marin and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties. He is the first openly gay man elected to the California Senate and one of the first two openly gay men elected to the Assembly. As an Assemblymember, he authored California’s first bills that would have given same-sex couples the freedom to marry. The Legislature passed the marriage bill in 2005 and again in 2007, but both measures were vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.