Tom Fudge: Tonight, same-sex couples will be allowed to legally marry in San Diego County. Last month, the California Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that it violates the state constitution. Soon after that, gay marriage opponents qualified a voter referendum to amend the constitution to, once again, limit marriage to heterosexual couples.
The staff of the office of San Diego County Clerk have been preparing for what could be a flood of gay marriage applications tomorrow. Given the strong opposition to same-sex marriage among many Californians, this has presented a dilemma for some county clerks. Do they require employees to marry same-sex couples even if they object to the practice? What if they say it runs counter to their religious beliefs, and forcing them to marry gays and lesbians may violate their First Amendment rights? So far, Kern and Butte Counties have suspended marriages performed by their county clerks.
Guests:
- Greg Smith, Assessor/Recorder/Clerk for San Diego County.
- Kevin Tilden , board member for the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center .
