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It was one of the first times that gay men and lesbians stood up to police harassment and is considered a watershed moment in the fight for gay rights in the United States.Īctivists knew the ruling might come be close to pride weekend, said Stuart Gaffney,media director at Marriage Equality USA, a group pushing for gay marriage. The parade marks the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City - several nights of demonstrations at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village that began June 28, 1969. "This year we're expecting the largest crowd we've ever had - 1.4 million people," said Earl Plante, CEO of San Francisco Pride, the organization that puts on the weekend's events.
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It usually brings out more than 1 million participants and observers. Sunday is the finale, the city's 43rd annual pride march. On Saturday, San Francisco's Civic Center hosts a massive pride celebration with food, music, dancing and a street fair. The court declares a new right to marriage for all same-sex couples nationwide.Īny of the decisions will be momentous, more so coming just as the nation's largest gay pride celebration kicks off in San Francisco.That could lead to the couples who brought the initial appeal being granted the right to marry or all same-sex couples in California gaining the right to marry, depending on the particulars of the ruling. The court decides that because California officials declined to defend Proposition 8, the groups that argued for it in court had no legal standing to do so.The court overturns DOMA, forcing all states to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed in states where it is legal.The court leaves DOMA standing, barring same-sex couples from federal benefits even if they are legally married in one of the 12 states and the District of Columbia that allow gay marriage.The court upholds Proposition 8, leaving gay marriage illegal in California.
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The second is whether the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that bans federal benefits for same-sex couples, is unconstitutional. The first is whether California's Proposition 8, a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage passed in 2008, is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decisions on two major gay rights questions Wednesday, the last day of the court's current term. She's gearing up for another rush after the ruling, when people make signs for a march Wednesday night from the Castro district, the neighborhood that serves as the city's center of gay culture and politics, to City Hall. Whichever way the court rules, she said, "it will be good for business."Īt Flax, an art and design store on Market Street along the parade route, poster paints in rainbow colors have been flying off the shelves, manager Jonimarie Theodorsen said. They've got extra staff prepared and will be open Saturday to handle the rush. Signographics, a company that makes banners, is prepared for "a flood of orders Wednesday for new banners," depending on which way the ruling goes, manager Maria Fortuno said. SAN FRANCISCO - A rare summer rainstorm dampened streets but not spirits as San Francisco geared up for a long-awaited Supreme Court decision Wednesday on gay marriage amid preparations for this weekend's massive gay pride celebrations.