| Page Views: 20,542 Last Visit to San Francisco: - | San Francisco is Really Shaking Things Up! by karenincalifornia - last update: Feb 6, 2007 |
SF is where I work (and have some fun, too) | Newlyweds in City Hall, San Francisco |
On February 12, 2004, the mayor of San Francisco, appalled by certain statements made by the President of the United States during the President's State of the Union address about same-sex marriages, ordered the San Francisco City Clerk to begin performing marriages to anyone who wanted to be married. Same-sex marriages were performed against objections of Pres. Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (aka "The Governator"). Couples were granted licenses without discrimination and without regard to gender or sexual orientation. The mayor believed that State laws prohibiting same-sex marriages were unconstitutional.
Since that time, more than 4,100 same-sex couples have been married in City Hall in San Francisco.
On March 11, 2004, the California Supreme Court ordered city officials to stop granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Supreme Court heard the merits of the case on May 25, 2004. On August 13, 2004, the Court voided the same-sex marriages and ruled that the Mayor overstepped his authority by granting the licenses.
The Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the ban on same-sex marraiges. The Mayor and numerous gay and lesbian couples immediately filed constitutional challenges. These cases have now been consolidated and on March 14, 2005, gay rights activists scored a major victory when a Superior Court judge ruled that the ban on gay marriages in California was unconstitutional. It is fully expected that the gay marriage opponents will file an appeal. |
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| Pros: | "Beautiful architecture and natural beauty, interesting and usually restless natives, great restaurants, excellent arts, never boring" | | Cons: | "Tough city for driving around - even for a local. Homeless situation is #1 problem and needs to be fixed." | | In A Nutshell: | "A very good place to land a job." |
karenincalifornia's San Francisco Travel Tips
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 Comments for karenincalifornia about San Francisco | | | | |
jo104 Mon Mar 9, 2009 11:00 UTC
Great tips esp the restaurants can't believe several are closed over the wknd though | candace4 Wed Feb 18, 2009 14:25 UTC
I can't believe how many restaurants I have missed. I only visit once a year now, but I lived in SF for many years. I can't wait to try some of your picks when I am out in June. | Nemorino Mon Jan 12, 2009 09:03 UTC
Happy Birthday, Karen! To celebrate your birthday I'm just having a look at the updates that you have added to this page since July 26, 2004. BART didn't even exist yet when I was living and working in Berkeley. Sorry to hear it's already old and shabby. | egonwegh Thu Nov 27, 2008 09:53 UTC
Thanks for visiting my Le Thor page! We're planning a visit to the US (2009) and hope to be in California in late summer. With a bit of luck the weather will be as good as it was in France. |
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