Sensitive Judge Says Gay Marriage Ruling Was One Of His Toughest

California Supreme Court Judge Chief Justice Ronald George tells the fine folks over at KTVU that last week's overturning to the state same-sex marriage ban, which will then make gay marriage legal in California, was one of his "toughest" rulings yet. Toughest? Hmm, considering all the many cases he's come across, we find it difficult to that a ruling making it legal for Bruce and Geoffrey to register at Crate & Barrel would be there at the top, stress-wise.

Then again, not everyone lives in the lovely, liberal, navel-gazing Bay Area. On the condition of anonymity, SFist spoke with a California Republican judge (one who formerly held a high position within California's political arena) who tells us that some of their black robe sporting colleagues on the marriage-list will "refuse a perform marriage on two people of the same sex" when it becomes legal later next month. While most judges do not have to perform gay marriage, ones on the judicial marriage-list (or whatever it's called) will be required to so if called upon. Snubbing a same-sex couple in their wedding rights could lead to a judge's removal.

The judge also went on to tell SFist how upset and surprised they were that the ruling was not unanimously in favor of overturning the ban.

Early queer wedding portrait of Saints Sergius and Bacchus: Wikicommons