A federal judge in California today overturned Proposition 8, the state’s law that prohibited gay people from marrying. Proposition 8, Judge Vaughn Walker wrote, “is unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.”

Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, issued the following statement:

“This is a historic day for California, and for our country. Proposition 8 took away the freedom of committed couples to make what is one of the most important decisions in any person’s life—to make a lifelong promise of caring, responsibility, love, and protection for another individual. Now, like the thousands of other California couples who have been barred from marrying who they choose, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier can have security of knowing they can receive legal protections for their family, visit each other’s hospital rooms when they are ill, and provide for each other in old age.  They now have the freedom to make that lifelong commitment to each other.
 
“This decision is an important step in the right direction, but there’s a lot of work left to do. We will continue to work toward making America a place where all couples can enjoy the freedom and security of marriage.”

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