Lawsuit Hopes to Remove California Marriage Initiative from Ballot

On Monday, the Associated Press published this photo as part of its coverage on San Francisco's gay pride. Sherri Black-White (left) and partner Shidiva Black-White were one of hundreds of newly married California couples. Luckily, they were able to the knot but there are several new developments in the fight to amend California's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, and, prevent other gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

The Los Angeles Times reports gay rights activists and marriage equality supporters have filed a lawsuit asking "the state high court to take the initiative off the ballot, partly on grounds that voters who signed petitions were misled about the measure's potential effect." The lawsuit claims when voters signed petitions for the Proposition 8, the November initiative "to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples, they were told the measure would not change state law, which at the time banned same-sex marriage." The suit is considered a "longshot",

Both sides on the California marriage issue pour money into the fight. Backers of Proposition 8, had, as of last week, "raised nearly $2.3 million, its foes about $1.3 million. Consultants predict that by the time voters go to the polls 4 1/2 months from now, each side will have raised $15 million or more." The Human Rights Campaign has contributed $242,600 to defeat the initiative so far.

In May, the California Supreme Court ruled that denying gays the right to marry violated the state constitution. Same sex marriages began two weeks ago and a report found county clerks issued "more than 8,500 marriage licenses in the first week same-sex marriage was legal in California, more than two and half times an average June week."

Lawsuit seeks removal of marriage measure [LAT]
Competing images in the fight over same-sex marriage [LAT]

Thanks KEITH