Ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional is correct

We at The Olympian approve of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. But the fight against Proposition 8 is not over yet; defenders will likely appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. For now, the Court of Appeals has put a “stay on the decision,” keeping Proposition 8 in place until the Supreme Court passes judgment on the case.

Proposition 8 states that only marriage between one man and one woman is valid in California. In other words, gay marriage is banned in our state. However, same sex couples who were married during the four-month period when gay marriage was legal in 2008 were allowed to keep their marital status.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that no one should be denied equal protection under the law. We believe that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional because it does not give homosexual couples the same legal status as heterosexual couples. According to the Declaration of Independence, we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For some, marriage plays a vital part in attaining happiness. With Proposition 8, homosexuals are excluded from the option of discovering the happiness that can be found through marriage.

We hope that by allowing gay marriage, people will become more tolerant towards each other. This may not happen with our generation or even the generation after that, but our grandchildren and their kids may lose the prejudice against gays that plagues our society today.

We at The Olympian believe that marriage equality does not harm anyone. Sexual orientation is not a choice, and being attracted to the same sex does not harm heterosexuals in any way. Besides, gay marriage will actually help our economy. In California, couples have to pay fees to obtain a marriage license. If couples decide to have a wedding ceremony, even more money will circulate into the economy through the employment of wedding planners, florists, cake designers, etc. The legalization of gay marriage will help alleviate our debt crisis.

We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will also rule Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, not only because it provides many benefits for the future, but also because gay marriage is a human rights issue. Besides, many advocates for Proposition 8 cite religion as an argument, and in the US, we have a separation of church and state. Religious matters should not impact our government. The overruling of Proposition 8 is a step towards a more tolerant future, and we hope that the Supreme Court makes the same decision as the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.