U.S. Judge found that same-sex couples have an equal right to the responsibilities and benefits of marriage (Part 1)

Last week, a federal judge in California decided that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry, striking down Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that banned same-sex unions. Over the next few blog entries I will be including some of the evidence that was presented at trial and discussing it in the context of social science research on couples and families.

U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker said Proposition 8 violated the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partners of their choice. His ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then up to the US Supreme Court.

The federal judge ruled, "Plaintiffs seek to have the state recognize their committed relationships, and plaintiffs' relationships are consistent with the core of the history, tradition and practice of marriage in the United States." You can read his ruling on the IMPACT Program webpage.

Judge Walker's historic ruling relied heavily on the testimony he heard at trial. Although cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, you can watch a reenactment of the trial on YouTube based on transcripts. In it you will hear testimony from researchers such as Psychologists, Historians, and Anthropologists explaining that same-sex relationships are healthy for the couple, for their children, and for society.

See the rest of the trial here on YouTube.

Dr. Mustanski is the Director of the IMPACT LGBT Health and Development Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. You can follow the Sexual Continuum blog by becoming a fan on Facebook.