Existing Marriages May Still Be Legal if Prop. 8 Passes

California is still counting upward of four million absentee and provisional ballots to determine the outcome of Proposition 8, but marriages performed over the past five months may still be honored if it passes, according to California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown said that the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California between June 16 and November 4 will still be recognized as marriages.

"I believe that marriages that have been entered into subsequent to the May 15 Supreme Court opinion will be recognized by the California Supreme Court," Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle in August. He also said that the outcome of Proposition 8 would likely only apply to future marriages.

The ballot initiative's language does not mention revoking marriage recognition from those couples. The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Lambda Legal warn, however, that Proposition 8 proponents might file a lawsuit to invalidate those marriages. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)

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Name: Nick
Date posted: 11/6/2008 6:04:00 PM
Hometown: Rescue

Comment:
Brian Brady, waht we have here is a SUCCESS of democracy. The people voted on a controversial issue, as has been done in the pass, and more often than not made the right choice. So if democracy means everyone gets a say, then so be it.
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Name: MLP
Date posted: 11/6/2008 4:13:00 PM
Hometown: West Sacramento

Comment:
I want to thank all the people that voted NO on Prop. 8. Those that voted yes...I'll keep my feelings for you, to myself. At least, you can't take that away from me..yet. June 21st will always be in my heart. That is the day that we legally got married. We will fight to stay married. Try to take that away from us....
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Name: Elliot Jones
Date posted: 11/5/2008 11:58:00 PM
Hometown: Tucson

Comment:
Plese consider the big picture: Similar measures that will write discrimination into state constitutions passed in Arizona, Florida and Arkansas, all funded exhorbitantly by organizations like the mormon church. We have a bigger fight to fight than we thought.
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Name: Brian Brady
Date posted: 11/5/2008 7:39:00 PM
Hometown: Palm Springs

Comment:
Yes, my marriage is protected. But what about yours? The fact is WE no longer have the right. This is nothing less than a failure of American Democracy.
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Name: Michael Rowe
Date posted: 11/5/2008 7:39:00 PM
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Comment:
The untrammeled malevolence of the Yes on 8 supporters in wanting to not only keep future marriages from occurring, but invalidate the ones that have already taken place, is a horrible reminder of just how much hatred LGBT people still face in spite of yesterday's triumph. This is a time for clarity and focus, and keeping rage managed, so we can get to the next step. I have confidence in the LGBT communities of California, and confidence in the supreme court that ruled the marriage ban wrong in the first place. We WILL prevail, I'm sure of it.
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Name: AGB
Date posted: 11/5/2008 7:12:00 PM
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Comment:
I had such high hopes for California to do the right thing. I went to bed not knowing if I would still be legally married to my beautiful wife. When I got up for work (I get up at midnight), I had to search for the answer. My wife woke up when I kissed her before I left for work. The first thing out of her mouth was "Are we still married?" And sadly, I had to tell her no. I told the few people I am close to at work that by the time I wake up Wednesday morning, I will find out if I'm allowed to still be married. None of my straight friends can fathom what it's like to live this way. They're lucky. When are we going to be treated as equals? Do the people of California realize that the gang members, serial killers, convicted murders and rapists who will never be free again have the right to marry. And they will have more than 1100 rights than us, law abiding -gay - citizens. I don't know about anyone else, but this pisses me off!
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Name: Richard
Date posted: 11/5/2008 7:04:00 PM
Hometown: Kentucky

Comment:
I frankly am getting tired of reading about Proposition 8, as if all the queers in the United States live in California. How about the effects of the recent election on the rest of us who DON"T live in California.
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Name: mike
Date posted: 11/5/2008 6:41:00 PM
Hometown: washington

Comment:
Barack Obama is a coward who failed to give sufficient support to us in the gay community. He only came out against Prop 8 in a brief interview two days before the election. His constituency is religious fundamentalist blacks.

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