Yes!

Yes!

Although it was divided, the California Supreme Court has emphatically overturned the ban on gay marriages.

As you may recall, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. People hurried to get married until the state stepped in and declared Newsom's actions illegal.

But San Francisco officials and about 20 of the couples granted licenses four years ago challenged the court decisions that invalidated their marriages, and in March the seven justices heard three hours of arguments over whether the state's ban on gay marriage denies gays and lesbians their constitutional rights. ...

Standing at the head of the line, San Francisco couple Bruce Ivie and David Bowers said they were waiting for history.

"I just feel it," said Ivie, 51 wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a pink triangle and "Proud Forever" on it. "California has always been a trend setter. It's now about time."

Ivie and Bowers, together for 28 years, were among the thousands of gay couples who rushed to City Hall to be married in 2004. They said they were horrified and heartbroken when their marriage was later voided, and spent the next four years following the gay marriage case as it made its way through the courts. "We'll have each other forever, but we deserve the same rights as everybody else," Bowers said. "How can it hurt anyone else?"

Among the group were two Davis women, Shelly Bailes and Ellen Pontac, who said they have been together for 34 years and were the 45th couple married at City Hall in 2004. Pontac carried a sign that said "Life feels different when you are married."

Opponents swear to fight on with an initiative.

But state Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, said he did not believe the measure would pass. "I don't think they'll succeed," said Jones, chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. "I think we have seen a change in people's attitudes and beliefs on this subject, and we have many new and younger voters who do not hold the old discriminatory values. So I'm very hopeful that despite the efforts of those who would seek to continue discrimination that proposition will be defeated."

Considering that just last October the legislature sent a bill to the governor that would have legalized gay marriage, I think he's right.

And what about the governor? The man who's twice vetoed legislation that would have legalized gay marriage? What does Arnold say? Well, it shouldn't surprise people who've listened to him recently:

"Well, first of all, I think that it will never happen in California because I think that California people are much further along on that issue," Schwarzenegger said, according to an audio recording. "And No. 2, I will always be there to fight against that because it should never happen."
...
The Austrian-born governor joked Friday [April 11] there should be a U.S. constitutional amendment allowing naturalized citizens to run for president, but not a state constitutional amendment on gay marriage. "That's a total waste of time," he said.

What's he said in the past was that he wanted the court to settle the problem. This case, in other words. What he said today was:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement immediately after the opinion was issued saying he would uphold the ruling.

"Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling," he added.

The times they are a'changing ... And about damn time, too.