A federal judge in San Francisco has refused to dismiss a lawsuit
seeking to overturn California’s same-sex marriage ban.
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker also signaled Wednesday
that the measure’s sponsors will need to show that allowing gay
couples to wed threatens traditional male-female unions.
Walker said significant questions remain about whether the
voter-approved ban discriminates against gays and lesbians in
violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Before ruling, Walker grilled a lawyer for the measure’s backers
who asserted that Proposition 8 was legitimate because it fostered
“naturally procreative relationships.”
The judge demanded to hear how that goal would be undermined if
same-sex marriages were legal.