Gay couples 'ecstatic' over ruling
MIL/USA Today, May 16, 2008.
San Francisco: May 16, 2008 - Lauren Patton was still in shock Thursday four hours after her neighbor woke her up, unable to withhold the news any longer: The California Supreme Court made its historic decision, and same-sex marriage was legal.
"I almost can't believe it," said Patton, 24, as friends walked up to hug her in victory as she parked her bicycle in front of a Starbucks coffee shop. "I immediately called my girlfriend to tell her. I'm totally happy. Ecstatic. I've been texting all my friends."
Many of those in the Castro neighborhood — the heart of the gay community in perhaps the most gay-friendly city in the country — raised celebratory glasses of iced coffee, champagne and beer on this unseasonably hot day as word spread. They prepared for what promised to be a night — even a weekend — of celebration.
The mood was tempered by the realization that a November ballot initiative could undercut the ruling. And gay marriage is still not permitted in all other states except Massachusetts.
Still, many gay — and straight people — savored a major victory in a battle that began in February 2004 when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made gay marriage legal. For a month, couples lined up, often waiting hours for their chance to be married. The California Supreme Court then temporarily halted the same-sex marriages while the merits of the case were tested.
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