San Francisco 2004 same-sex weddings

[1] San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who attended the State of the Union Address as a guest of Representative Nancy Pelosi, reportedly called his chief of staff the night after the speech to start making plans.

[4] On February 13, two organizations, the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Campaign for California Families, filed actions in San Francisco Superior Court seeking an immediate stay to prohibit the City from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

[7] On February 20, 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state Attorney General Bill Lockyer to "obtain a definitive judicial resolution" of the controversy.

While we wait for the courts to act, it's time for the City of San Francisco to start respecting state law.

It is time for the city to stop traveling down this dangerous path of ignoring the rule of law.Lockyer responded by acknowledging his office had to defend state law "and allow the courts to determine whether the city has acted illegally", but said his political beliefs were sympathetic to issuing the licenses:[6][9] As a lifelong defender of civil rights, due process and equal protection for all, I do not personally support policies that give lesser legal rights and responsibilities to committed same-sex couples than those provided to heterosexual couples.

That is why I have and continue to strongly support extending the benefits and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples through domestic partnerships and civil union statutes.The Attorney General and a group of taxpayers filed separate petitions[when?]

[citation needed] On March 9, the San Jose City Council, by a vote of 8-1, agreed to recognize any same-sex marriages of its employees performed in other jurisdictions.

[citation needed] The Supreme Court's ruling did not alter a scheduled March 29 San Francisco Superior Court hearing before Judge Ronald Quidachay in which the Campaign for California Families and the Alliance Defense Fund claimed that San Francisco's granting of same-sex marriage licenses was illegal.

[15] On February 18, 2004, President George Bush declined to say whether he thought a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage was needed, but said:[16] I have watched carefully what's happening in San Francisco, where licenses were being issued, even though the law states otherwise.