Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down California’s Proposition 8

A divided federal appeals court today struck down California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to prohibit gay marriage. Proposition 8 was passed by voters in response to a California Supreme Court decision that ruled that forbidding same-sex marriage violated the state constitution.

A divided federal appeals court today struck down California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to prohibit gay marriage. Proposition 8 was passed by voters in response to a California Supreme Court decision that ruled that forbidding same-sex marriage violated the state constitution.

Proposition 8 did not prohibit civil unions that are virtually equivalent to gay marriage.

In a 2-to-1 vote, the appeals court ruled in Perry v. Brown that Proposition 8 violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause by taking away gays’ right to marry, examiner.com reports.