加州同性婚姻禁令被判违宪

Good evening breaking news tonight in the America's national debate about what defines a family.Two years ago the voters of California banned gay marriage with 52% of the vote.This afternoon a federal judge said those voters were wrong.That banning gay marriage is fundamentally unconstitutional and violates America's commitment to end discrimination.A decision that will undoubtedly head to the Supreme Court and Terry Moran has been studying it all for us.

Federal judge Vaughn Walker ruling sweeping and definitive striking down the ban on same-sex-marriage in ringing terms.Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians,the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.By striking down Proposition 8,judge Walker a republican appointee,declared that the 7 million Californians who voted for the ban got it wrong constitutionally.

Voters,he said,were driven by nothing more than a fear or unarticulated dislike of same-sex couples adding opposite-sex couples are not better than their same-sex counterparts instead as partners,parents and citizens opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples are equal.Reaction was swift and intense from the Lesbian couple that brought the case,jubilation.

This decision says that we are Americans, too.We two should be treated equally.

Their lawyers were a high-powered political-like couple.Democrat David Boies who represented Al Gore in the 2000 election dispute and Republican Ted Olson worked for George W. Bush in that case.But they found common ground in fighting for the rights of gays and lesbians.

This is what American's justices all about.

On the other side,there was anger.And in this election year republicans seeing an opening Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama blasted the rule.

As an example of a judge feeling that they know better than their people what higher and better values are.

Now the judge stayed his ruling from going into effect,so there will be no gay marriages in California,just Yeah,this case headed for an appeal dying no question,all the way to the supreme court.

But I wanna show everybody the map right now,Terry,as if of tonight there are five states that have already approved same-sex marriage.They are Massachusetts,Connecticut,Iowa,New Hampshire,Vermont and,of course,Washington DC as well.So tell us what the courts have been saying about this nation-wide.

Well there's no question,Diane,this is a movement right now being driven in the courts and proponents say that that is where the courts' aware of our fundamental rights have always been advanced and protected.Opponents of same-sex marriage say this is just anti-democratic at the latest.And there is a risk of a backlash,Diane,when the courts get too far ahead of the country.They risk their legitimacy,their authority.Right now,the country is divided on this,50 to 47 against same-sex marriage in the latest ABC news poll.It will be very interesting to see what happens to those numbers away...

But are you saying the courts have not ruled against it so far in states?

They have not.The Hawaii Supreme Court did dismiss a case that didn't rule our constitutionality.But right now it's a string of victories in the courts.