San Francisco - A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a California ban on same-sex marriages as unconstitutional, handing a key victory to gay rights advocates in a politically charged decision almost certain to reach the US Supreme Court.
The highly anticipated ruling by US District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker marked a major turning point for a social debate that has sharply divided the American public and its political establishment.
Gay rights advocates and civil libertarians have cast the legal battle as a fight for equal rights, while opponents, including many religious conservatives, see same-sex marriage as a threat to the "traditional family".
Both sides have said an appeal to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals was certain regardless of the outcome on Wednesday. The case could then go to the Supreme Court, provided the high court's justices opted to hear it. - Reuters