It's a battle his side has fought and won at the ballots, but they could lose in court. "When we are going to make major legislation, major changes -- civil rights being a great example -- the final say should come from the people," he said.
Franklin says the court's decision giving gays and lesbians the right to marry is a slippery slope to allowing polygamy, and he's glad it's on hold for at least six days. "If two guys can get married, if two women can get married based on their sexual preference, if I were to say 'I'm bisexual,' why can I not marry a man and a woman based on the same argument?" he asks.
Before Prop 8, gay marriage was legal in California for about four-and-a-half months. The state issued about 18,000 same sex marriage licenses. The Fresno County Clerk's Office issued 258 of them. Scotti Maldonado and Rob Huntley weren't on the verge of marriage then, but they are now. They're encouraged by the judge's decision and preparing for a trip to the clerk's office for a wedding next week. "I think we feel that we're no longer second class citizens and we're joining the rest of our brothers and sisters in the state and across the nation in sharing something that's been so important to so many of them," said Maldonado. "And we're being equal," adds Huntley. "We're equal rights now."
County Clerk Victor Salazar says he's preparing his staff for a possible rush on marriages next week. People in the office say there are mixed feelings in here about gay marriage, but their job is to implement the law, whatever it is.
