Local gay-marriage advocates, opponents react to ruling

Local reaction to the California Supreme Court ruling upholding the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage was swift and strong this morning.

"I'm more than disappointed," said longtime gay-rights activist Bill Dubay.

The California Supreme Court also decided that the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who wed before the law took effect would stay married.

Dubay said he was happy for those couples, but also noted the ruling means that "some gay people are equal, some are not."

Dubay said he found it frustrating that resources would now have to be put back into a state where the battle for gay marriage has already been fought, rather than putting resources into states where the issue hasn't been on a front burner.

But "we're not going away, and we're not giving up until we're equal in all 50 states," he said.

Ken Molsberry, a Seattle resident who married Chris Vincent in California in July, said "in a way we are happy that our marriage has been allowed to stand. But we're extraordinarily saddened that other same-sex couples won't have the fundamental right that we have to get married."

"It's also pretty appalling that the court has ruled that voters have the right to take away a fundamental right from a minority," Molsberry said.

Vincent said though his marriage stands, the ruling "still makes us feel very vulnerable," in that it might make it easy for someone to challenge the legality of the marriages, if the state doesn't recognize gay marriages other than those 18,000.

"It's legally ambiguous to say the least," Vincent said.

Gary Randall, president of the Faith and Freedom Network, which opposes same-sex marriage, said he was pleased with the court ruling.

"I think the more people look into marriage, the more they're beginning to realize it should not be redefined and it cannot be redefined because of its uniqueness."

Marriage "genetically connects a man and a woman in relationship to a child. That's the optimum," he said.

Pastor Joseph Fuiten of Cedar Park Assembly of God Church in Bothell said the California Supreme Court "did right in this case."

The justices "decided they weren't going to be activist and overturn the will of the people," he said. "So it was a good day for the democratic process."

Connie Watts, executive director of Equal Rights Washington, a pro-gay marriage organization, wasn't surprised by the decision. She said she didn't view it as any more of a setback than Proposition 8's passage in November.

"This is confirming the setback, if you ask me," she said. "Since then we have had tremendous momentum around the country in moving this issue forward."

Though she characterized local efforts to repeal a recent law extending domestic partnership rights to same-sex couples as a distinctly separate issue, "it also shows that we have a long way to go here." "I'm really discouraged that we have to face this ... at this time when people support fairness and basic rights for same-sex couples," she said.

Joe Mirabella, the Washington State community organizer for Join the Impact, which is co-sponsoring a rally here this afternoon to protest the California ruling, said that while he was was sad about the decision, he was glad to see existing gay marriages remain legal.

"I think it will give folks an excellent opportunity to talk to people in California and show them that it's perfectly normal to have same-sex couples married and living next door to them," he said.

He didn't see the decision as a setback, noting pending same-sex marriage legislation in New York and New Jersey. "It's inevitable," he said. "The tide is in the direction of equality. It's just a matter of time."

Efforts to repeal domestic partnership rights in Washington are going against majority opinion, he said, and today's decision might actually fuel the Decline to Sign 71 campaign, a counter-effort.

Still, he said he welcomed the discussion. "It's a good thing for people to get to know us and see we're normal families, that we have the same hopes and dreams," Mirabella said.

Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com

Marc Ramirez: 206-464-8102 or mramirez@seattletimes.com