California county clerks will be authorized to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as early as June 14 of this year. The date is exactly 30 days after the California Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage, which is the time required for the Court’s decisions to take effect, barring further legal action, according to the Associated Press.
The California Supreme Court overturned the state’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that such laws violate the California constitution, which they said “guarantees same-sex couples the same substantive constitutional rights as opposite-sex couples to choose one’s life partner and enter with that person into a committed, officially recognized, and protected family relationship.”
Even as gay rights supporters celebrated the landmark ruling, activists began gearing up for the political battle in November. Anti-gay rights activists have already submitted signatures for a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage. A fierce battle over the ballot initiative is expected in the fall.
