San Francisco mayor's decision on same-sex marriage defies state law

Published: 2004-02-24

SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- In defiance of longstanding California law and a proposition overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2000 to oppose gay marriage, the administration of newly installed San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has issued nearly 3,000 marriage licenses to couples of the same sex since Feb. 12. San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada called the mayor's recognition of gay marriage "misguided." The archbishop said in a Feb. 12 statement, "To extend the meaning of marriage beyond a union of man and woman, their procreative capacity, and their establishment of family represents a misguided understanding of marriage itself." The pace of issuing same-sex marriage licenses was likely to slow after a new policy took effect Feb. 23 requiring same-sex couples to get an appointment before getting a license, just as heterosexual couples are required to do. About 50 licenses a day can be issued under the new policy. Supporters of traditional marriage failed in their efforts to stop City Hall's action on same-sex weddings with a court order. They also had asked that licenses already issued be revoked. The next hearing in the matter was set for March 29 by San Francisco Superior Court Judge James Warren.

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