The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday morning that Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage in the state of California, is unconstitutional.
The decision was made in a 2-1 vote and the panel explained their decision by stating that Prop 8 “used the state’s initiative power to target a minority group and take away a right the group possessed, without legitimate reason.”
The ruling has 14 days to take effect, and it is anticipated that groups that oppose gay marriage, such as the “Family Research Council” and “Protectmarriage.com” will appeal this decision for a second time. It is also possible that the case could be moved straight to the Supreme Court.
Judge Stephen Reinhart explained that Prop 8 violates the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause by stating, “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”