Equality California Celebrates Yes on Prop 3 Victory

SACRAMENTO, Calif. California voters overwhelmingly voted Yes on Proposition 3 Tuesday evening, which will enshrine full marriage equality in California's constitution once and for all.

Prior to Election Day, the California constitution stated, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California" a remnant of the anti-marriage equality Proposition 8 from the late 2000's. Proposition 3 removes this outdated language and replaces it with a provision that establishes the right to marry as a fundamental right.

Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang celebrating the victory:

"This vote is a tremendous victory for fairness, justice, and love. We are grateful to all those who voted to reaffirm the freedom to marry and protect loving couples and families across California who deserve to have their marriages protected and respected under the law.

With the current makeup of the Supreme Court, there is no guarantee that the precedent set by Obergefell almost ten years ago will hold. If the Supreme Court can overturn almost fifty years of precedent as they did with Roe v. Wade we cannot assume it will uphold a decision protecting marriage equality for same-sex couples not even a decade old.

This vote is a declaration of love and acceptance. Equality California was proud to be a member of the executive committee of the Yes on 3 campaign and work with incredible partners. Our thanks to Assemblymember Evan Low, Senator Scott Wiener, and the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, who provided strong leadership from the outset, and to all our legislative and community partners and allies who came together to help safeguard marriage equality for all Californians."

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org