Prop 8 Stays End Next Week - California Resumes Same Sex Marriage Wednesday

The US District Court judge of California refused to extend Prop 8, the controversial gay marriage legislation which made same-sex nuptials illegal in the state of California. What this means that by next Wednesday August 18, same sex marriage will be legal again in California. This is a great victory for the people who were against prop 8.

The Judge's decision did not begin right away to give the appeals court time to weigh in on the matter. Still, to the people of California this was a victory.It was also a victory for the entire gay rights movement, as it marked one of the first times that  a court ruled in favor of gay rights and gay marriage.  Many people in states around the country are hoping that the legislation and precedent set in California will turn into legislation in their own states.

It has been reported that since November 2008 there has already been 18,000 same sex couples that have been married. So everyone can see that this has been a hot issue ever since the ban has been in place.

Reports have stated that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown would like the ruling by Judge Vaughn Walker to be put into effect as soon as possible.

Proposition 8, Repealed - What's Next for Gay Rights?

Proposition 8 was repealed after it was passed by California voters. The controversial law made same-sex marriage illegal in California, despite the legalization of gay marriage in San Francisco years earlier. San Francisco along with gay couples sued the state, and Judge Vaughn Walker agreed that the law was unconstitutional.

Appeals have already been filed, showcasing that this battle is far from being over. However, this is as expected - the fight for gay rights has become a modern day civil rights movement. As such, the fight will likely go all the way to the Supreme Court.

What will the end result be? Vaughn Walker's ruling will be used as precedent for other cases. Although same-sex marriage isn't legalized in all states, it's likely that the recent ruling will pave the way for more states to legalize the unions.

There have already been advances in offering the same benefits to same-sex couples as their heterosexual counterparts. Many companies allow insurance coverage on families with domestic partnerships. Adoptions are also possible.

Proposition 8 passed, and then was deemed unconstitutional. The further rulings of higher courts will further expand this issue and likely change the landscape of marriage as we know it.