o learned judge(国外英语资料).docVIP

o learned judge(国外英语资料) Gay marriage Gay marriage O learned judge A good judge A federal court overturns A ban on gay marriage A federal court has overturned the ban on gay marriage in California Aug 5th 2010 | Los Angeles AS RULINGS go, Judge Vaughn Walker’s verdict on August 4th in San Francisco was relentless. The state of California, he wrote, cannot ban, even by popular vote, gays and lesbians from marrying because this would violate America’s constitution by denying some couples “a fundamental right without a legitimate (much less compelling) reason.” His decision is certain to be appealed, and most watchers think it will end up before the Supreme Court. But whatever happens there, it represents a huge leap forward in America’s long struggle over the civil rights of homosexuals. Under the law, judge vaughn walkers ruling in San Francisco on Aug. 4 was not easily changed. He wrote that even though people to vote to California cannot ban on gays and lesbians to marry, because it violates the constitution of the United States, denied the romantic partners no legal reasons (difficult convincing) fundamental rights. His ruling is bound to appeal, and most watchers think the case will end before the Supreme Court. But whatever the outcome, the incident represents a huge leap forward in the long-term struggle for civil rights among gay americans. The background to the case is Proposition 8, a Californian voter initiative that banned same-sex marriage and was approved by 52% of voters in November 2008, after a nasty and expensive campaign that often turned blatantly homophobic. Two couples, one lesbian and one gay, went to court, insisting that this ban violated their constitutional rights to “due process” and “equal protection”. Arguing their case were two of America’s best-known lawyers, one conservative and one liberal, who, in a nice accident of history, had stood on opposite sides in 2000 when Al Gore fought George Bush for the presidency but who now made common