Federal appeals court allows marriage for all

In 2008, California voters decided by a narrow margin to make same-sex marriage illegal by establishing a definition of what exactly marriage is — a union between a man and a woman.

Now, with a federal appeals court in California overturning Proposition 8 last week, same-sex couples finally have the right to establish a binding legal relationship and ensure themselves of certain protections.

There has been much discussion about how allowing same-sex couples would destroy the “sanctity” of marriage. But in a world where couples can marry for hours and politicians can change wives as often as socks, “sanctity” has no place in the argument.

Same-sex couples now have the chance to prove 52 percent of Californians wrong and take their vows seriously. Marriage means a respect for one’s partner and a shared relationship. It is not something to take lightly.

A long struggle for equality could be diminished through carelessness and arrogance on the part of those that marry to just get married.

The battle for California has been won — for now.

The ruling, likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, makes California one of a handful of states to recognize same-sex marriages.

In effect, 52 percent of Californians favored bigotry toward the LGBT community in 2008. Supporters of Proposition 8 argued that allowing all genders to marry whomsoever they please would impose on their religious practices and destroy marriage.

They may have pooled their numbers to reach a majority, but a majority in the wrong is wrong nonetheless.