A ban on same-sex marriage brought to the U.S. Supreme Court by sponsors of California's Proposition 8 was shot down on Wednesday, when the court gave a ruling that will most likely clear the path for LGBT marriage in the state with the nation's highest population.
Despite this historic ruling, the fight for lesbian and gay couples' constitutional right to join in matrimony is still at hand, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
In a 5-4 vote, the justices in Hollingsworth v. Perry maintained that heterosexual marriage activists who landed Proposition 8 on the California ballot during 2008's elections did not possess constitutional rights to defend the legislation following the state's refusal to appeal its loss.
California's 2008 initiative defined traditional marriage as the joining of a man and woman, but justices ruled that bill did not represent the state, nor did it stand for the voters. This rendered Propsition 8 unconstitutional, according to Chief Justice John Roberts.
"We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to," the Huffington Post reported Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. "We decline to do so for the first time here."
He said sponsors of the bill were "plainly not agents of the state"-their appeal was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction and their argument was therefore moot.
"It is not enough that the party invoking the power of the court have a keen interest in the issue," the majority wrote in its statement. Due to the fact that the supporters did not have "concrete and particularized injury," the court ruled that they had "no authority to decide this case on the merits, and neither did the Ninth Circuit."
In a different ruling of the Defense of Marriage Act, (DOMA), the Supreme Court ruled that married LGBT couples had the right to equal federal benefits as heterosexual partners.
It now seems that the next step for the high courts will be to completely get rid of Prop. 8 and allow same-sex couples the right to marry.
Sponsors of Proposition 8 largely come from a conservative religious group called Protect Marriage. They claimed their coalition would not accept the fact that the ruling would lead to the legalization of homosexual marriage.
"While it is unfortunate that the court's ruling does not directly resolve questions about the scope of (Walker's) order against Prop. 8, we will continue to defend Prop. 8 and seek its enforcement until such time as there is a binding statewide order that renders Prop. 8 unenforceable," Andy Pugno, attorney for Protect Marriage, said in a statement released after Wednesday's ruling.
President Barack Obama gave his support for the Supreme Court's decision that same day, saying he "applauded" their striking down the DOMA act.
"The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free," he wrote.
