MAY 26, 2009 -- Tuesday evening, police estimate more than 3,000 protesters marched from Balboa Park along Sixth Avenue to City Hall to protest the California Supreme Court's upholding the ban on gay marriage. It was as rousing an effort as seen in laid-back San Diego. Marchers chanted, carried banners and flags and were a loud presence. Many from downtown shops, bars and restaurants poured out into the streets to watch the display.
The state court ruled that nearly 20,000 marriages performed for gay and lesbian couples before the November vote on the initiative are legally valid. The most recent vote was 6-1 for upholding the measure. The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald George, said Proposition 8 was not a revision to the state constitution, and therefore valid. He rejected claims that it violated equal protection guarantees for gays and lesbians.