Calif. Democrats Endorse Gay Marriage
by Matt Johns 365Gay.com from the Web, April 19, 2005
Los Angeles, CA -- California Democrats have wrapped up their annual convention with a resolution supporting same-sex marriage.
The resolution calls for civil marriage to be extended to same-sex couples.
It passed unanimously and as the vote was being taken many delegates displayed signs that read "AB 19" in support of an assembly bill that would extend civil marriage to same-sex couples.
The legislation was recently introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno, an openly-gay Democrat from San Francisco.
The vote makes California the fourth state Democratic party to officially call for marriage equality.
The Democratic parties of Massachusetts, New York and Washington State have all expressed support for marriage equality, either by resolution or through a state party platform.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, authored by Leno, is expected to pass through the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 26.
The legislation would allow gays and lesbians to marry while protecting the rights of churches opposed to same-sex marriage to refuse to perform the weddings.
It also has the support of the NAACP.
Meanwhile, a legal case that involves the right of same-sex couples in California to marry is heading slowly to the State Supreme Court.
Last month a San Francisco judge ruled that state laws preventing gay marriage are illegal.
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