On February 12, 2004, upon the direction of Mayor Gavin Newsom, the City of San Francisco began offering marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  Although the California Supreme Court later held that these marriages were prohibited by state law, the City’s actions touched off a battle over marriage equality in the state that continues to this day.  In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue of marriage equality in the California case of Hollingsworth v. Perry on March 26, 2013.

CAC discusses marriage equality and the 14th Amednment in our Crossroads chapter, “The Meaning of Equal: Does the Constitution Prohibit Discrimination on the Basis of Gender and Sexual Orientation?”

Couples waiting in line outside San Francisco’s City Hall.

Photo: San Francisco Chronicle.