Today is the long awaited Day of Decision in the the Prop 8 trial. Judge Walker has reached a decision on whether to uphold or overturn the California same-sex marriage ban and will be making his decision public this afternoon.    The decision will will be announced today between 1pm and 3pm today and will be followed by rallies throughout California, including one right here in Long Beach at Bixby Park at 6:00 pm.   We hope to see all of you there!

The federal trial over the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 will began back in January, led by attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies.   The challenge was brought on by Kris Perry, Sandy Stier, Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, who comprise two couples who wish to be married but who were denied marriage licenses because of Proposition 8.  The argument was made that unequal treatment of gays and lesbians denies them the basic liberties and equal protection under the law that are guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

It is probable that whatever the decision is today, that this will represent just one step in a long legal battle.   Poliglot noted on their blog post today that:

Today, regardless of the decision, not much — in terms of actual change — will likely happen. Because both sides have made clear — and Judge Walker has acknowledged — that they plan to appeal should they lose on Wednesday, it is likely that a temporary stay would be granted, which would halt the enforcement of the ruling until an appeal can be heard by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. AFER’s spokesman confirmed to Metro Weekly that the Proposition 8 proponents, who intervened in the case to oppose the plaintiffs, have filed a conditional motion to stay the trial court decision pending the outcome of the appeal.

To review the in depth FAQ regarding today’s decisions please visit Poliglot.com.

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