In an "extraordinary" court filing today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asked for same-sex marriage to be "allowed to resume immediately in California after a federal ruling that the state's voter-approved ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional," reports Sacto Bee.
"The Administration believes the public interest is best served by permitting the Court's judgment to go into effect, thereby restoring the right of same-sex couples to marry in California," said Kenneth C. Mennemeier, an attorney representing Schwarzenegger. "Doing so is consistent with California's long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect."
While Schwarzenegger was named as a defendant in the Prop 8 lawsuit, the Republican governor has been vocal about his opposition to the civil rights-extinguishing initiative.
In a historic move, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage man, which ":violates the equal protection and due process rights of gays and lesbians." Prop 8 passed with 52 percent of the vote in November 2008. Since Wednesday's announcement, Walker's decision has been derided by many, most notably in two "open" editorials in SF Chronicle (both parodied on SF Appeal) and by anti-gay political columnist Debra Saunders.
