Prop. 8 Supporters Appeal Ruling on Walker

The Proposition 8 machinations continue: Those fighting to maintain California's constitutional ban on gay marriage are again attempting to discredit the ruling of federal judge Vaughn Walker because he is in a long-term same-sex relationship.

Antigay groups are appealing the June 14 decision of Judge James Ware, which stated that Walker's 2010 ruling declaring Prop. 8 unconstitutional should not be thrown out because Walker didn't disclose he had a partner. Pro-Prop. 8 groups like ProtectMarriage say Walker was biased in his ruling because he would have personally benefited from California allowing same-sex marriage. Ware said there was no indication Walker intended to marry his partner -- and he didn't during the brief time California allowed same-sex marriage in 2008.

Groups such as Lambda Legal and the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is bankrolling the case against Prop. 8, called the attempt to get Walker's ruling thrown out desperate and insulting.

"The court decisively rejected an outrageous attack on the integrity of Judge Walker, not to mention judges in general." Peter Renn, an attorney for Lambda Legal, said in a statement following Ware's June 14 decision. "The motion was a sideshow designed to deflect attention from the fact that the proponents had every chance to prove that Prop. 8 was constitutional, but could not do so. Prop. 8 was declared unconstitutional because it is unconstitutional -- not because the judge is gay."