Associated Press wrote:California Senate approves bill allowing gay marriage
STEVE LAWRENCE
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO - Handing gay rights advocates a major victory, the California Senate approved legislation Thursday that would legalize same-sex marriages in the nation's most populous state.
The 21-15 vote made the Senate the first legislative chamber in the country to approve a gay marriage bill. It sets the stage for a showdown in the state Assembly, which narrowly rejected a gay marriage bill in June.
"Equality is equality, period," said one of the bill's supporters, Sen. Liz Figueroa, D-Sunol. "When I leave this Legislature I want to be able to tell my grandchildren I stood up for dignity and rights for all."
But Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-La Mesa, suggested that a "higher power" opposed the legislation.
"This is not the right thing to do," he said. "We should protect traditional marriage and hold all of those values and institutions that have made our society and keep our society together today."
Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach, said a number of churches supported the bill.
"I don't think anyone should claim God as being on their side in this debate," she said.
Gay rights advocates called the vote historic.
"It will make all California families safer and more secure if it becomes law," said Seth Kilbourn, director of the Human Rights Campaign Marriage Project in New York. "The fact they debated and voted on this relatively quickly today sends a message that there is momentum for this bill."
Several senators equated the struggle for gay marriage to other civil rights movements. They said arguments against the bill were similar to earlier arguments in support of slavery and opposing interracial marriage.
"This is probably the most profound civil rights movement of our generation, without a doubt," said Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough.
Senate approval gave the bill's author, Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, another chance to send the legislation to the governor's desk. The Legislature is expected to adjourn next week.
After the Assembly rejected his bill in June by four votes, Leno amended the measure's provisions into another one of his bills that had already passed the Assembly and was awaiting action in the Senate. That's the bill the Senate approved Thursday and sent back to the Assembly.
I am sitting here, right now, laughing at the apoplectic fit Mindia will have assuming the assembly passes it and it gets signed by the governor. (which I do expect to see happen). If it causes the far right christian wingnut contingent to leave the state in protest, all the better. I can just imagine the parties in the street in SF if this goes through...
-Arlos
) hetero.
to CA!
