Following news today that California’s Prop 8 has been ruled unconstitutional, the Center issued this reaction:

The Center is thrilled to hear that loving committed same-sex couples in California are one step closer to having the same opportunity for marriage equality that we enjoy here in New York.

Our Center Families team works hard every day to support more than a thousand LGBT people a year in the tri-state area who use our services to build, grow and strengthen their families.

We send a heartfelt congratulations to all those who helped make today’s Prop 8 ruling a reality and send best wishes to all LGBT families in California as they move towards gaining equality under the law.

Learn more about our Center Families Program here, and like us on facebook here.

Breaking equality news from California today.  As reported by Metro Weekly’s Chris Geidner:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today affirmed the August 2010 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker that California’s 2008 amendment banning same-sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional, deciding the case on narrow grounds relating to the facts of the amendment’s impact, which the court notes was to “eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California..

The case, Perry v. Brown, was brought by the American Foundation for Equal Rights and featured a contrasting team of lawyers — the conservative Ted Olson and liberal David Boies — who waged a high-stakes trial in January 2010 and a high-profile public campaign to advance the cause of marriage equality.In today’s decision, Judge Stephen Reinhardt writes for the court:

“We consider whether that amendment violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. We conclude that it does.”

You can read more about this historic ruling in favor of full equality for same-sex couples by linking to The American Foundation for Equal Rights.  The Center congratulates all of the people who worked tirelessly to make this a reality and looks forward to further efforts to keep this ruling in place!