Gay rights activists are holding rallies in New York after the Californian Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. However, gay couples who wed before the law took effect can stay married.
The gay and lesbian community held a rally in New York to demand the same civil rights as straight couples. They are upset and outraged, and want their voice to finally be heard.
The latest decision of the California Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8 – the controversial voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.
“What the California court did was wrong!” protesters say.
Even though about 18,000 couples who got married before the ban was put back in place can stay married, this is far from enough for the others who feel left out. Countless couples want to be able to wed their partners and build families.
“I am here today because I want to be able to marry my partner. We’re expecting a baby and I want to be able to get rights for us and for our kids,” one of the gay rights activists said.
Not all of them want to get married at this very moment, but at least having the legal right to do so would allow the people in the crowd to feel like they live in an equal society.
The gay and lesbian community says it will not give up, but will instead fight with even more passion.
“People who are lesbian and gay should have the same rights that everybody else has. We have democracy and marriage is a civil right, however you may feel about it. You may think it’s not the greatest institution, but everybody should have that right,” a protester said.
Another activist added: “We are here to say the battle is not over, it’s still going on today.”
What most of the people involved in the demonstrations dream of is not necessarily their wedding day, but the day when they know they are allowed to get married.