: Lift the Prop. 8 Stay 

A growing chorus is imploring a federal appeals court to allow marriages for gay couples to resume in California, one that now includes The New York Times.

"Every day same-sex couples are denied their right to marry is another day of injustice for them and their families," a Monday opinion piece reads. "Couples who wish to wed knowing that the appellate court could decide to uphold Proposition 8's ban should be allowed to take that chance."

Though a San Francisco judge ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional seven months ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit imposed a stay on that decision as supporters of the ballot initiative filed an appeal. "The stay should never have been granted in the first place. Applying traditional legal criteria, the extraordinary relief of a stay is only warranted when the applicant makes a strong showing of likely success on the merits and of irreparable injury in the absence of a stay -- two arguments that cannot be satisfied here."