Yesterday, a federal district court judge heard the closing arguments in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case that will determine the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriages.

“This trial presents a defining moment in the history of a nation built on the promise of liberty and equality for all,” said Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, “Proposition 8 denies a large class of people their fundamental rights as citizens—it violates the Constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law and defies our core values as Americans. Laws that have divided Americans into separate classes of citizens with unequal rights have not in the past withstood the scrutiny of our collective conscience.

”Prop 8, and similar efforts to deny the right of marriage to committed couples because of who they choose to wed, is no exception. Prop 8 and its supporters are on the wrong side of the Constitution and the wrong side of history. We look forward to reading Judge Walker’s opinion, and hope that we will soon be wishing Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo well as they marry and receive legal protections for their families.”

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