California gay marriage to resume

A US federal judge has ruled that same-sex marriages can resume next week in California while his landmark ruling last week that…

A US federal judge has ruled that same-sex marriages can resume next week in California while his landmark ruling last week that overturned a ban on same-sex matrimony is appealed.

The order to allow gay marriage will take effect at 5pm on Wednesday (1am Irish time on Thursday).

That will give an appeals court time to consider "in an orderly manner" whether the voter-approved ban, known as Proposition 8, should be left intact while appellate judges weigh the merits of the overall case, US District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled.

Late yesterday, defenders of Proposition 8 filed papers asking the appellate court to block same-sex marriages for the duration of the broader appeal.

Both sides expect the case eventually to be appealed right up to the US Supreme Court, giving the California legal battle national importance. The case against Prop 8 marks the first major challenge in federal court to a state law barring marriage between same-sex couples.

Gay rights advocates and civil libertarians have cast the legal battle as a fight for equal rights, while opponents, including many religious conservatives, see same-sex marriage as a threat to the traditional family.

Thirty-nine US states have laws explicitly prohibiting gay marriage. Only five states - Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire - and the District of Columbia - allow same-sex unions.

Reuters