Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A federal appeals court has declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for likely consideration by the US Supreme Court.
A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court judge correctly interpreted the US Constitution when he declared in 2010 that Proposition 8 was a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians.
"Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples," states the opinion, written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt, one of the court's most liberal judges.
Backers of the ban said they would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the 9th Circuit ruling.
"We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage – tried in San Francisco – turned out this way," said Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that helped defend the ban.
Supporters of gay marriage hailed the ruling. American Foundation for Equal Rights President Chad Griffin, who formed the group along with director Rob Reiner to fight the ban, called the panel's ruling "a historic victory".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments