STRAUSS v. HORTON

Nos. S168047, S168066, S168078.

46 Cal.4th 364 (2009)

___ Cal.Rptr.3d ___

___ P.3d ___

KAREN L. STRAUSS et al., Petitioners, v. MARK B. HORTON, as State Registrar of Vital Statistics, etc., et al., Respondents; DENNIS HOLLINGSWORTH et al., Interveners. ROBIN TYLER et al., Petitioners, v. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA et al., Respondents; DENNIS HOLLINGSWORTH et al., Interveners. CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO et al., Petitioners, v. MARK B. HORTON, as State Registrar of Vital Statistics, etc., et al., Respondents; DENNIS HOLLINGSWORTH et al., Interveners.

Supreme Court of California.

As modified June 17, 2009.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

National Center for Lesbian Rights, Shannon P. Minter, Christopher F. Stoll, Melanie Rowen, Catherine Sakimura, Ilona M. Turner, Shin-Ming Wong; Munger, Tolles & Olson, Gregory D. Phillips, Jay M. Fujitani, David C. Dinielli, Michelle Friedland, Lika C. Miyake, Mark R. Conrad; Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Jon W. Davidson, Jennifer C. Pizer, Tara Borelli; ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Alan L. Schlosser, James D. Esseks, Elizabeth O. Gill; ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Mark Rosenbaum, Clare Pastore, Lori Rifkin; ACLU Foundation of San Diego and Imperial Counties, David Blair-Loy; Law Office of David C. Codell, David C. Codell; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Stephen V. Bomse for Petitioners Karen L. Strauss, Ruth Borenstein, Brad Jacklin, Dustin Hergert, Eileen Ma, Suyapa Portillo, Gerardo Marin, Jay Thomas, Sierra North, Celia Carter, Desmund Wu, James Tolen and Equality California.

Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, Gloria Allred, Michael Maroko and John S. West for Petitioners Robin Tyler, Diane Olson, Cheri Schroder and Coty Rafaely.

Dennis J. Herrera, City Attorney, Therese M. Stewart, Danny Chou, Kathleen S. Morris, Sherri Sokeland Kaiser, Vince Chhabria, Erin Bernstein, Tara M. Steeley and Mollie Lee, Deputy City Attorneys, for Petitioner City and County of San Francisco.

Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin, Jerome B. Falk, Jr., Steven L. Mayer, Amy E. Margolin, Amy L. Bomse, Adam Polakoff and Michelle S. Ybarra for Petitioners City and County of San Francisco, Helen Zia, Lia Shigemura, Edward Swanson, Paul Herman, Zoe Dunning, Pam Grey, Marian Martino, Joanna Cusenza, Bradley Akin, Paul Hill, Emily Griffen, Sage Andersen, Suwanna Kerdkaew and Tina M. Yun.

Ann Miller Ravel, County Counsel, Tamara Lange, Lead Deputy County Counsel, and Juniper Lesnik for Petitioner County of Santa Clara.

Rockard J. Delgadillo, City Attorney, Richard H. Llewellyn, Jr., Chief Deputy City Attorney, David Michaelson, Chief Assistant City Attorney, and Michael J. Bostrom, Deputy City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Los Angeles.

Raymond G. Fortner, Jr., County Counsel, Leela A. Kapur, Chief Deputy County Counsel, Elizabeth M. Cortez, Assistant County Counsel, and Judy W. Whitehurst, Deputy County Counsel, for Petitioner County of Los Angeles.

Richard E. Winnie, County Counsel, Brian E. Washington, Assistant County Counsel, and Claude Kolm, Deputy County Counsel, for Petitioner County of Alameda.

Patrick K. Faulkner, County Counsel, and Sheila Shah Lichtblau, Deputy County Counsel, for Petitioner County of Marin.

Michael P. Murphy, County Counsel, Brenda B. Carlson, Chief Deputy County Counsel, and Glenn M. Levy, Deputy County Counsel, for Petitioner County of San Mateo.

Dana McRae, County Counsel, for Petitioner County of Santa Cruz.

Harvey E. Levine, City Attorney, and Nellie R. Ancel, Deputy City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Fremont.

Philip D. Kohn, City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Laguna Beach.

John Russo, City Attorney, and Barbara Parker, Chief Assistant City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Oakland.

Jan I. Goldsmith, City Attorney, and George F. Schaefer, Deputy City Attorney, for Petitioner City of San Diego.

John G. Barisone, City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Santa Cruz.

Marsha Jones Moutrie, City Attorney, and Joseph Lawrence, Assistant City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Santa Monica.

Lawrence W. McLaughlin, City Attorney, for Petitioner City of Sebastopol.

Proskauer Rose, Clifford S. Davidson, Lois D. Thompson and Albert C. Valencia for Anti-Defamation League, Asian Law Caucus, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Japanese American Citizens League, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Public Counsel, Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, National Senior Citizens Law Center, API Equality—LA, API Equality, API Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Los Angeles Chapter), Chicana Latina Foundation, American Jewish Committee, Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, BIENESTAR, Asian Law Alliance, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, Gay Vietnamese Alliance, South Asian Network, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, Gay Asian Pacific Support Network, Korean Resource Center, Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice, And Marriage for All, Korean Community Center of the East Bay, Advocacy Coalition of Tulare County for Women and Girls, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Asian & Pacific Islander Family Pride, O-Moi, Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council and Philippine American Bar Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Ronald Steiner, M. Katherine Baird Darmer, Richard Faulkner, Jenny Carey, Kurt Eggert, John Hall, Jayne Kacer, Steven Krone, Francine Lipman, Elizabeth L. MacDowell, Henry Noyes; Crowell & Moring, Steven P. Rice, Deborah E. Arbabi; Ashleigh E. Aitken, Casey Johnson, Michael Penn; Roman E. Darmer II; Rosanne M. Faul; Sallie Kim; Stephanie Mullen; Alexis Penn-Loya; Emily Samuelsen Quinlan; and Jeffrey L. Van Hoosear for Chapman Outlaw, Chapman Queer-Straight Alliance, Chapman Feminists and Chapman SPEAK (Students for Peaceful Empowerment, Action and Knowledge), Wylie Aitken, Deepa Badrinarayana, Rimvydas Baltaduonis, Marisa Cianciarulo, M. Katherine Baird Darmer, James Doti, Kurt Eggert, Kelly Graydon, Elizabeth MacDowell, Steven Krone, Francine Lipman, Lynn Mayer, Dale A. Merrill, Nancy Schultz, Suzanne Soohoo, Ronald Steiner, Sheri Maeda-Akau, Lisa Clark, Sandra L. Hague, Brian Scott Hamilton, Annie Knight, Mark Lawrence, AJ Place, Erin M. Pullin, Demisia Razo, Tara Riker, Christopher J. Roach, Gloria Rogers, Zara Ahmed, Sasha Anderson, Elliot Balsley, James E. Blalock, Claudia Brena, Anne L. Card, Tiffany Chang, Doug Clark, Kimberlee Cyphers, Alexa Hahn-Dunn, Linnea Esselstrom, Sara Gapasin, Ashley Ann Hanson, Cortney Johnson, Anais Keenon, Breanna Kenyon, Samantha Kohler, Timothy Lam, Craig Leets, Jr., David Nungary, Michelle Pascucci, Kitty Porter, Regina Rivera, Brian Rouse, Angela Wilhite, Preston Whitehurst, Emily Wilkinson, Lauren Jessica Wolf, Orange County Equality Coalition, James Albright, Thomas J. Peterson, Karla Bland, Laura Kanter, Lindsey Etheridge, John Dumas, James Nowick, Hung Y. Fan, Michael David Feldman, Mary Katherine Holman-Romero, Deborah Ann Romero-Holman, Jeffrey L. Van Hoosear, Gregory T. McCollum, Heather Ellis, Rosanne Faul, Sharon Nantell, Judy Gordon, Linda J. May, Dean Erwin Chemerinksy, James D. Herbert, Cecile Whiting, Dean Inada and Emily Quinlan as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Alice O'Brien; Altshuler Berson, James M. Finberg, Eve H. Cervantez and Barbara J. Chisholm for California Teachers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Raoul D. Kennedy and Elizabeth Harlan for Professors of State Constitutional Law Robert F. Williams, Lawrence Friedman, Vincent M. Bonventre, Daniel Gordon, Ann Lousin, James G. Pope and Jeffrey M. Shaman as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Joel Franklin; Michelle A. Welsh; Michael W. Stamp; and Amy M. Larson for The Constitutional Law Center of the Monterey College of Law as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Prodigylaw.com and Dennis W. Chiu for Steven Mattos, Amor Santiago, Harry Martin and Paul J. Dorian as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

City of West Hollywood Legal Services Division, Michael Jenkins and J. Stephen Lewis for City of Berkeley, City of Cloverdale, City of Davis, City of Emeryville, Town of Fairfax, County of Humboldt, City of Long Beach, City of Palm Springs, City of Sacramento, County of Sonoma and City of West Hollywood as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Bryan Cave, Jonathan Solish, Julie E. Patterson, James C. Pettis, Meghan C. Sherrill, Curt M. Dombek, Michael B. Zara, Marwa Hassoun and Vanessa A. Sunshine for Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Santa Monica Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and Claremont Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Townsend and Townsend and Crew, Eugene Crew, Timothy R. Cahn, Nancy L. Tompkins, Holly Gaudreau, David J. Tsai and James D. Kiryakoza for Dr. Frank M. Alton, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Netivot Shalom Synagogue, Reverend Dr. Jane Adams Spahr, Reverend Dr. John T. Norris, Reverend Dr. Glenda Hope, Rabbi David J. Cooper, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Reverend Laura Rose, Reverend Dr. Janet McCune Edwards, Reverend Kathryn M. Schreiber, Reverend Susan A. Meeter, Mira Vista United Church of Christ, Nancy McKay, Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Reverend Dr. Paul Tellstrom, Irvine United Congregational Church, Covenant Network of Presbyterians and More Light Presbyterians as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Frederick Brown, Ethan Dettmer, Sara Piepmeier, Rebecca Justice Lazarus, Enrique Monagas, Kaiponanea Matsumura, Douglas Champion, Heather Richardson, Lauren Eber and Lindsay Pennington for Current and Former California Legislators as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Eric Alan Isaacson, Alexandra S. Bernay, Samantha A. Smith, Stacey M. Kaplan; Eisenberg and Hancock, Jon B. Eisenberg; Winston & Strawn and Peter E. Perkowski for California Council of Churches, Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus, Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, The General Synod of the United Church of Christ, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry California as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Dickstein Shapiro and Cassandra S. Franklin for Faith in America, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Troy M. Yoshino and Gonzalo C. Martinez for San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Edward P. Howard; Chapman, Popik & White, Susan M. Popik, Merri A. Baldwin, Raquel A. Lacayo-Valle; Cooley Godward Kronish, Gordon C. Atkinson, Craig C. Daniel, Kyle C. Wong, Erin L. Dominguez and Daniel R. Redman for Professor Karl M. Manheim as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Shay Aaron Gilmore; HoenningerLaw and Jo Hoenninger for Marriage Equality USA as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

James T. Linford as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Perkins Coie, John S. Rossiter, Kirk A. Dublin, Jason A. Yurasek, Joren S. Bass, Geraldine M. Alexis, Farschad Farzan, Troy P. Sauro, Philip A. Leider, Gigi C. Hoang, Mamta Ahluwalia, David P. Chiappetta, Kaycie L. Wall and Liling Poh for Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch California Committee North and Human Rights Watch California Committee South as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Stephen Kent Ehat for Professors of Law as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Law Offices of Stephan C. Volker, Stephan C. Volker and Joshua A. H. Harris for John Emmanuel Domine, Bradley Eric Aouizerat, Betsy Jo Levine and Lisa Lynn Brand as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Tobias Barrington Wolff; Bingham McCutchen, Raymond C. Marshall; Julie Su, Karin Wang; Eva Paterson, Kimberly Thomas Rapp; Nancy Ramirez, Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon; and Holly A. Thomas for Asian Pacific American Legal Center, California State Conference of the NAACP, Equal Justice Society, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Robert Lott for Zakary Akin, Naomi Canchela, Terrence Fong, Jessica Hirschfelder, Adrienne Loo, Carolyn Lott, Robert Lott, Quang Nguyen, Agata Opalach, Jeff Pilisuk, Shalini Ramachandran, Vidhya Ramachandran, Joseph Robinson, Lee Schneider and Nathan Wilcox as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Kelly M. Dermody and Allison S. Elgart for Alameda County Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Marin County Bar Association, Santa Clara County Bar Association, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, Asian American Justice Center, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, California Employment Lawyers Association, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Central California Legal Services, Inc., Charles Houston Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Impact Fund, Japanese American Bar Association of Greater Los Angeles, Korean American Bar Association of Northern California, Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, Latina Lawyers Bar Association, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Lawyers' Club of San Francisco, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Legal Aid Society—Employment Law Center, Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Mexican American Bar Association, Minority Bar Coalition, National LGBT Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, Public Justice, Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, South Asian Bar Association of San Diego, Tom Homann Law Association and Transgender Law Center as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Walter Rieman and Roberta A. Kaplan for C. Edwin Baker, Robert A. Burt and Kermit Roosevelt III as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Brune & Richard, Laurie Edelstein, Randall T. Kim and Thomas J. Ringer for William N. Eskridge, Jr., and Bruce E. Cain as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Courtney G. Joslin and Michael S. Wald for Professors of Family Law Scott Altmann, R. Richard Banks, Sarah Rigdon Bensinger, Grace Ganz Blumberg, Janet Bowermaster, Carol S. Bruch, Patricia A. Cain, Jan C. Costello, Barbara J. Cox, Jay Folberg, Deborah L. Forman, Joan H. Hollinger, Lisa Ikemoto, Courtney G. Joslin, Herma Hill Kay, Lawrence Levine, Jean C. Love, Maya Manian, Mary Ann Mason, Anthony Miller, Melissa Murray, Patti Paniccia, Shelley Ross Saxer, E. Gary Spitko, Michael S. Wald, D. Kelly Weisberg, Lois Weithorn and Michael Zamperini as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Steven Meiers as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Hastings Civil Justice Clinic, Donna M. Ryu; Morrison & Foerster, Lawrence R. Katzin, Dorothy L. Fernandez, Scott M. Reiber, Bethany Lobo and Samuel J. Boone-Lutz for Constitutional and Civil Rights Law Professors as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Law Offices of Lawrence A. Organ, Lawrence A. Organ and Meghan A. Corman for The Civil Rights Forum as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Paul & Hanley, J. Rae Lovko and Jason E. Hasley as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Leslie Ellen Shear; Katherine E. Stoner; Garrett C. Dailey; and Shane R. Ford for Association of Certified Family Law Specialists and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Northern California Chapter as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Kevin M. Fong and Alice K. M. Hayashi for League of Women Voters of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Vincent H. Chieffo, Philippe A. Phaneuf, Dennis J. Rasor, Marc B. Koenigsberg, Alexandra Aquino-Fike; Jason H. Farber; Dewey & LeBoeuf, Jonathan A. Damon, Dean Hartsell, Todd L. Padnos, Benjamin M. Heuer, Ryan K. Tyndall and Mark M. Rabuano for San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Google, Inc., H5 and Levi Strauss & Co., as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland, Irving Greines, Cynthia E. Tobisman and Jennifer C. Yang for Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Women Lawyers, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and Women Lawyers of Sacramento as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Sullivan & Cromwell, Jason de Bretteville, Robert A. Sacks, Edward E. Johnson, Stacey R. Friedman, Maura E. Miller and David A. Castleman for Our Family Coalition and COLAGE as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Bate, Peterson, Deacon, Zinn & Young, Harry A. Zinn and Lester F. Aponte for Love Honor Cherish as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Farella Braun + Martel, Grace K. Won, David K. Ismay, Brett R. Wheeler and Julie Wahlstrand for Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, Family Equality Council, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Therapists Association, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Kids in Common, Legal Services for Children, National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Youth Law, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc., and San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Eve Coddon, Jeffrey S. Haber, James W. Gilliam, Sean D. Unger, Kimberley A. Donohue, Eleanor K. Mercado and Stephen B. Kinnaird for Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Pacific Pride Foundation, Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center, San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Santa Cruz County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center and The Center Orange County as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Steptoe & Johnson, Rebecca Edelson, Robbin L. Itkin, Katherine C. Piper, Colleen O'Brien and Matthew A. Williams for California National Organization for Women, National Organization for Women and Feminist Majority Foundation as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

S. Michelle May for Sacramento Lawyers for Equality of Gays and Lesbians as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Irell & Manella, Laura W. Brill, Moez M. Kaba, Richard M. Simon, Mark A. Kressel; Irma D. Herrera, Lisa J. Leebove; Vicky Barker; Rebecca Connolly, Sara Sturtevant, Emily Trexel; Nadia P. Bermudez; Julie F. Kay; Lisa Horowitz and Margaret B. Drew for Concerned with Gender Equality, Equal Rights Advocates, California Women's Law Center, Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County, Lawyer's Club of San Diego, Legal Momentum and National Association of Women Lawyers as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Phalen G. Hurewitz and Mary K. Lindsay for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Mark S. Shirilau as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld, William A. Sokol, David A. Rosenfeld and John Plotz for California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, National Federation of Federal Employees, Screen Actors Guild, Unite Here!, Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Fresno-Madera-Tulare-Kings Counties Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, South Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, California Faculty Association, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, District Council 57, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2019, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2428, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3299, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3916, AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Local 6119, Compton Council of Classified Employees, AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Local 6157, San Jose/Evergreen Faculty Association, AFL-CIO, El Camino College Federation of Teachers, Local 1388, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, United Educators of San Francisco, AFT/CFT Local 61, AFL-CIO, NEA/CTA, University Council-American Federation of Teachers, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Communications Workers of America District 9, AFL-CIO, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 97, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 99, Communications Workers of America, Local 9000, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, Local 9503, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, Local 9505, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, Local 9421, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, Local 9575, AFL-CIO, District Council of Ironworkers of the State of California and Vicinity, Jewish Labor Committee Western Region, Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 1450, Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' Local 300, AFL-CIO, Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' Local 400, AFL-CIO, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO, SEIU California State Council, SEIU Local 521, SEIU Local 721, SEIU Local 1000, SEIU Local 1021, SEIU Local 1877, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, Teamsters Joint Council 7, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Local 853, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5, Unite Here Local 19, United Steelworkers, Local 5, Martinez, CA and University Professional and Technical Employees Communications Workers of America, Local 9119, AFL-CIO, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

T. M. Reverend Messiah for The Church of the Messiah as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Michael J. McDermott as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

White & Case, Dan Woods, Patrick Hunnius, Earle Miller, Aaron Kahn, Rachel Feldman and Adam Summerfield for Log Cabin Republicans as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners.

Kenneth W. Starr; Law Offices of Andrew P. Pugno and Andrew P. Pugno for Interveners.

James Joseph Lynch, Jr., for Margie Reilly as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Sweeney & Greene, James F. Sweeney; The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty, Eric Rassbach, Luke Goodrich and Lori Windham for The California Catholic Conference, The Seventh-Day Adventist Church State Council, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America as Amici Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Angela C. Thompson and Patrick Gillen for Fidelis Center for Law and Policy as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Alliance Defense Fund, Timothy Chandler, Benjamin W. Bull, Brian W. Raum and James A. Campbell for Family Research Council as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Brad W. Dacus, Kevin T. Snider, Karen D. Milam and Matthew B. McReynolds for Pacific Justice Institute as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Lawrence J. Joseph for Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Joshua K. Baker; Marriage Law Foundation and William C. Duncan for National Organization for Marriage California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Law Offices of Charles S. LiMandri, Charles S. LiMandri; Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, James Bopp, Jr., Anita Y. Woudenberg and Sarah E. Troupis for Catholic Answers as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Chavez-Ochoa Law Offices, Brian R. Chavez-Ochoa; and Vincent P. McCarthy for American Center for Law & Justice and Three Members of the United States Congress as Amici Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Liberty Counsel and Mary E. McAlister for Campaign for California Families as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Interveners.

Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorney General, Manuel M. Medeiros, State Solicitor General, David S. Chaney, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Christopher E. Krueger, Assistant Attorney General, James M. Humes, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Kimberly J. Graham and Mark R. Beckington, Deputy Attorneys General, for Respondents.

Samuel Rodrigues as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Respondents.

Eric I. Gutierrez, Steven W. Fitschen and Douglas E. Myers for The National Legal Foundation as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Respondents.

D. Q. Mariette Do-Nguyen for Kingdom of Heaven as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Respondents.


OPINION

GEORGE, C. J.

For the third time in recent years, this court is called upon to address a question under California law relating to marriage and same-sex couples.

In Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco (2004) 33 Cal.4th 1055 [17 Cal.Rptr.3d 225, 95 P.3d 459] (Lockyer), we were faced...

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