Rights groups give Californians support

Australian gay rights groups have expressed commiserations to Californian same-sex couples who have lost the right to marry after Proposition 8 passed in last week’s US election.

Over 16,000 couples took advantage of their legal right to marry in California after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage in June this year.

The ballot measure overturning same-sex marriage gained 52 percent support from Californian voters.

Thousands rallied in the streets of Los Angeles after hearing the result, marching near a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple to protest the Mormons’ strong support for the proposition.

Exit polls showed young voters overwhelmingly opposed the ban while older voters, churchgoers and African Americans tended to be strongly in favour.

US National Centre for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendall told The New York Times the community would -œpick ourselves up and trudge on.

Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Peter Furness said he was disappointed to hear the ban got through, but was -œlooking on the bright side.

-œFor a very socially conservative society like the USA, I think that’s not so bad at all. Of course it’s disappointing it wasn’t 52 our side, but America is a tough nut to crack.

-œI don’t think it has much effect in Australia because in Australia a significant majority of people support equal marriage and we don’t have as much influence by evangelical Christian churches.

-œI’m very confident that Australians wouldn’t vote that way. I think there’s much more support in Australia for legal equality.

Furness said he wasn’t concerned the Californian example may be used by those opposing equal marriage in Australia.

-œI think the only lesson perhaps is that we need to be more organised and effective and we need to put some resources into a campaign for equal rights, including marriage rights.

Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor Stephen Jones said the Californian result was -œscary.

-œIt’s terrifying that equality is being fought for so hard, or denial of equality is being fought for so hard and that people think this is a threat to society.

-œIt’s very difficult to turn around and say democracy can actually be against social justice.

Legal challenges in California have already been filed against the ban.