[ cheers ] an historic day for marriage equally as the u.s. supreme court issues a landmark defense on the defense of marriage act and also clears the way for same-sex marriages in california. we have team coverage of this pivotal moment in history.

supporters broke out in cheers when today's decisions were handed down. [ cheers ] >> this was the scene from san francisco's city hall upon hear, the high court's decision. on the right side, the reaction from outside of the supreme court in washington, d.c. the four plaintiffs in the prop-a case. here's how the court ruled on prop 8, the supreme court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in california. the justices said prop 8 supporters did not have the legal right to appeal the lower court ruling that overturned the proposition banning such marriages. so they declined to rule on prop 8 and the court dismissed the appeal. but prop 8 supporters are still vowing to continue their fight. the justices also ruled the provision of the defense of marriage act, or doma, is unconstitutional. they ruled if gay marriage is recognized by a state, then the federal government must provide

equal benefits to all legally married couples, it's only a partial victory for gay marriage because individual states can still decide on what constitutes a legal marriage. the fight over same-sex marriage dates back to 2004. that's when then-mayor gavin newsom defied state law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. then on march 11th, the state supreme court ordered san francisco to stop the ceremonies. but on may 15th, 2008, the state supreme court struck down the state's existing law, banning same-sex marriage. it was on that day that newsom gave his now-famous quote. >> it's unnestable. this door's wide open now. it's gonna happen whether you like it or not. this is the future and it's now. >> within six months of the

speech, proposition 8 was on the ba bal -- ballot and now a new ruling from the highest court in the nation. tara moriarty is live at san francisco city hall with reaction from the man many helped focus -- focus attention on this issue. good afternoon, tara moriarty. >> reporter: good afternoon, we have seen a lot of couples go into the courthouse to get married and in less than a month, it will be gay couples tying the knot. it's called a spine-tingling moment. >> my reaction was just tears when he saw them walking down the steps. >> reporter: moments after the u.s. supreme court struck down prop 8, san francisco mayor ed lee, lieutenant-governor, gavin newsom and phyllis lie un, the first gay person to get married here in city hall walked down the steps to bask in the moment. >> it feels good to have livetry up of over ignorance.

>> reporter: cheers filled the rotunda. >> it's great. this is really amazing. >> now we'll get married in california and we'll get recognized on the federal level. this is a big day for us. >> reporter: pam says she will marry per partner mary beth here in one month. the two have been engaged for 20 years. it took a while for their families to warm up with the ideas. >> my mom didn't understand and she texted me this morning and her text said i'm crying. praise bod. -- dash praise god. >> reporter: dennis herrera said fighting prop 8 has been a long struggle. >> it's been a privilege and honor and very emotional. >> reporter: outside city hall, honks of supports and more smiles from newsom. >> this is about human beings and human dignity. it's about self-worth. >> he got teary-eyed when talking about a man who approached him in montana.

>> he said thank you for reacting me with my son. his son was gay. he had lost faith and connection with him because he never understood it and he said you challenged my thinking. >> reporter: now, this weekend we have pride festivities and people are expected to come from all over the nation and from all accounts, it may be the largest turnout in san francisco's history. live in san francisco, i'm tara moriarty, ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you, tara. governor jerry brown and kamala harris say it's full speed ahead for gay marriage ceremonies. >> as soon as they lift that stay, marriages are on. [laughter] >> thank you for the clarity. >> the wedding bells will ring. [laughter] >> harris's comments came just less than an hour ago in los angeles. she urged the appeals court to lift the prop 8 injunction as soon as possible. harris acknowledged the legal right of the court to delay that action for up to 25 days. the governor also issued an

order to county clerks earlier today to beangy -- to begin the issuing of marriage licenses as soon as the injunction is lifted. president obama issued a statement praising the supreme court's decision on the defense of marriage act. he commended the supreme court for triking down part of doma and said "this was discrimination enshrined in law. it treated, loving, mated couples as a separate and lesser class of people. the supreme court has righted that wrong our country is better off for it." our team coverage continues with alex savidge who is in the castro where there is a big celebration planned for tonight. >> reporter: good afternoon. an enthusiastic crowd behind me at castro and market. you can see them across the street. about a dozen people waving gay pride flags. it's been a morning-long celebration after what many call a huge celebration for

equal rights. drivers honked their horns as they passed this elated group of same-sex marriage supporters who took to the streets of the castro this morning, following the rulings from the high court. it was an emotional morning for many. >> we're thrilled to death. we're absolutely thrilled to death. we feel like we're part of this country. we feel like we belong here. >> we're just like everybody else. we just have to fight for the rest of the country. >> reporter: the supreme court's prop 8 ruling opens the door for same-sex couples to get married here in california and that's what alex and brandon brock are planning to do. they say this is a day they've been waiting a long time for. >> history bent to justice. the supreme court's ruling really was a ruling for families. it was a ruling for equalities. >> i think the country has changed. we're seeing the change today. >> reporter: start, at about 7:00 this morning, people came together at harvey milk plaza

keeping close tabs on their smart phonessance the two gay marriage decisions were issued by the high court. the crowd grew to a few dozen people. >> my partner and i can get married. it means we can plan. it means we can have equality. it means a lot of things. >> reporter: some said they were surprised by today's decisions. now that the court has ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, this community is preparing to celebrate. >> i'm gonna find some friends, have a chilled glass of champagne and keep smiling. >> reporter: there will be a large rally in the castro at 6:30. thousands of people will be filling this intersection. organizers say the streets will be blocked off starting at 5:00. many of the same-sex couples i talked to said they are going to take wedding plans right away. others say they are not planning to get married but it's nice to know they can. we're live this afternoon in san francisco, alex savidge,

ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you, alex. now that prop 8 has been defeated, legal experts say the ruling by district court judge von walker that called proposition 8 unconstitutional will play a pivotal role moving forward with same-sex marriage. ktvu spoke with the now-retired judge walker and brian flores joins us more on walk we're pre -- walker's prediction on the ruling. >> reporter: some say his ruling was the catalyst that not only sterned over prop 8 but drove the case to the supreme court ruling. there were other cases that were equally memorable for him. he now works in private practice as a mediator. but the prop 8 case was always something on his mind. judge walker said when he heard the case at first, he told the attorneys that there were procedural issues moving forward. here's what he told the attorney representing prop 8 at the time the case was being heard in the lower court.

>> even if you attempt to appeal this case, you may not have standing to do so. and the supreme court is going to have to deal with that issue and it's a serious issue. >> reporter: that's basically what the ruling was that came from the supreme court that they handed down today, saying prop 8 supporters did not have the legal right to appeal the ruling which allows for same- sex marriage to resume. we asked the judge about his thoughts on marriage. he says it should be considered more than the ceremony civil union. >> marriage is a ceremony that has a great deal of significance in our society and in our laws. and there really isn't a reason to treat some kind of marriages as a second class marriage. >> reporter: he also says he wasn't atal surprised that the -- at all surprised that the case went to the supreme court. he also believes years from now people will look back on race and gender issues that once characterized the country.

a compelling interview by julie haener on this. her second part of the interview is tonight. stay tuned for that. brian flores, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, brian. we continue our live coverage on the supreme court's ruling that will create a seismic r change for the entire -- change for the entire state. ken pritchett is live from the state capitol with more. good afternoon, ken. >> reporter: well, there's been some celebration here by members of the lgbt legislative caucus, lawmakers who are gay or a lesbian are celebrating. there's a group called savecalifornia.and the president of the organizer has long been backers. we talked to the president, he was obviously disappointed with the ruling. at the same time conceded prop 8's defeat. >> california is now a homosexual marriage state. children will be taught to

aspire to unnatural, unhealthy role models, no longer will a married man and wife be the standard for children to aspire to. >> reporter: savecalifornia.com president randy thomson did not author prop 8 nor did his group but they've been vocal supporters and they filed a brief in support of prop 8 before the supreme court. he said the supreme court has, in his words, become an illegitimate body with the ruling and he continued the argument that they made since the beginning that marriage is not defined in the constitution and should be a state issue. he blamed governors brown and kamala harris for not appealing a district court's decision for not supporting the will of the people. thomson like proponents of prop 8 said it's been a long road. >> it's sad to see our nation's laws are not functioning

because of tyranny. i will say that again. tyranny is when judges or politicians exert their own power and their own desire and violate the rule of law. >> reporter: as for the fight going forward, thomson said there was some hope that he had that this rule be could be limited in scope, somehow that he was not at all confident about what happened. what he said to me was basically, he -- he says "it's done." in sacramento, ken pritchett, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, ken. coming up on the news at 5:00 and 6:00, we'll have much more coverage of the supreme court's landmark decisions today and then at 6:30, we go in depth on the justices' affirming and descenting opinions and the rallies planned tonight. and next at noon, the wet weather is just a memory now. mark tamayo will be here for a look at the warmup on the way. [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce?

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hundreds of same-sex marriage supporters celebrated for hours today. kyla campbell was in the courtroom when the decision came down this morning and joins us live outside of the courts to describe what it was like.

good afternoon, kyla. >> reporter: hundreds of people supporting same-sex marriage can'ted and cheered from these steps as the couples at the -- chanted and cheered from these steps as the couples can came out celebrating. it was an overwhelming moment. people in the crowd shouting thank you. for chris and sandy, this is about their four sons. >> we love you as much as any other parents love their kids. we'll be equal. now we'll be married. >> reporter: inside the packed courtroom, justice robert read the opinion he wrote. he said multiple times the supreme court has to make decisions that are judicial not political. the near-silent reaction inside. a stark contrast from outside. >> it's not just about us. it's about the kid in the south, kids in texas and kids everywhere. >> reporter: sprinkled in a few who favored california's law

against same-sex marriage. >> the supreme court has no authority when it comes to the nature of marriage. that authority belongs to the creator. >> reporter: opponents say california's district court ruling should not apply to the entire state but it's unclear at this point what other legal avenues they can pursue to stop same-sex marriage. also those two support sakes mare average tell me they will continue to -- marriage tell me they will continue to fight for those others. >> katie utehs is live in san jose with what the clerk recorder's office has done to prepare for all of the new requests -- to tie the knot. >> reporter: good afternoon. there is a celebratory rally scheduled in front of city hall for 6:00 tonight.

meanwhile if, at the clerk's office are eagerly awaiting word from the state for when they can once again resuming offering same-sex marriage. >> i will be officiating. we'll seal what the date will be -- we'll see what the state will be. it was almost five years to the day that we had the performing a of the gay marriages and i still have the robe and the speech. >> reporter: when the time comes, all 27 offices will be opened in order to process marriage license applications. additional people may be brought in to legally perform marriages in order to keep up with demand possibly an additional 25 people. the clerk's office performed same-sex marriages back in 2008 so they are ready for this time around too. >> we have about 50 employees and almost have are deputized

to perform marriages. >> reporter: now it no longer says bride and groom. katie utehs, ktvu channel 2 news. we want to let you know, as expected, b.a.r.t. employees have voted to authorize a strike any time after the current contract ends sunday night. ktvu consumer editor tom vicar joins us live from the west oakland b.a.r.t. station. tom? >> reporter: fair question, is it a bargaining tactic or an omen of the coming consumer catastrophe? a near unanimous stroke by two unions representing if00 b.a.r.t. workers would -- of 2300 b.a.r.t. workers would shut down which serves 400,000 riders every day. >> we want you at the table negotiating with the district.

we did not want to strike. >> we hope this vote tells them we're serious about bargaining. we'll be at the table. >> reporter: this has been a tactic used in each of the last three contracts to put pressure on the b.a.r.t. board to strike a deal. the last b.a.r.t. walkout, a 16 had i stoppage was a nightmare for the region and the economy. >> we think there's a deal to be had of june 30th. we hope it doesn't get to the point where we have to get to a work stoppage and shut down the bay area. we'll have more at 5:00, tom vaccaro ktvu channel 2 news. it's a -- big changes with our weather pattern. yesterday, we had heavy rain up in parts of the north bay. today still lingering moisture in the form of clouds. very humid. it feels like you are walking around in hawaii and san francisco currently checking in at 70 degrees. stole track heads up to the north over the next few days. high pressure rebuilds. that leads to the warming trend

beginning today and really kicks in on through the weekend, especially for the inland sections. you can see temperatures, the profile over the next few days. by sunday, the warmest location approaching 100. triple-digit heat on the horizon. still warming up for the bayside and the coastal spots. here's a quick look at your five-day forecast, temperatures trending up some very warm to hot temperatures for saturday and sunday for the inland sections. the beaches upper 60s to right around 70. bill martin has the next update in the 5:00 news. >> thank you, mark. we'll be right back with more ktvu channel 2 news at noon right after this. [ humming ] that was quick. this was you. hm? you've been trying to get me to eat egg whites for years. you went and talked to mcdonald's? [ gasps ] oh, an egg white delight mcmuffin. i knew it. [ female announcer ] the new egg white delight mcmuffin. freshly grilled egg whites and creamy white cheddar. also available on any of your favorites. it's another new way to love mcdonald's. mmm. this is good.

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as you can imagine, same- sex couples are anxiously awaiting word on when the state will start to issue marriage licenses. joey wilson and matt cook are waiting for this -- they've been waiting for this day for years. they followed the decision as it was handed down on ktvu. now that the supreme court has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal again in california. they will plan the wedding for next year. they both texted family members right after the ruling. >> she was like, let's set a date soon. big smiley face. my mom texted me. you see! >> it means a lot to have the support of family. >> both say, however, the ruling is bittersweet as they were hoping that bans on gay marriage would have been deemed unconstitutional throughout the country. people are still revoicing -- rejoicing on both the

defense of marriage act and proposition 8. taking a live look at san francisco city hall on the right and the castro district on your right. we'll have team team coverage of today's rulings from the supreme court. it's sparked quick reaction from all corners from the law, to religion to personal finance. we talked to both sides of the issue and those who have a major stake in the court's action. at 6:30 tonight a special ktvu news presentation in-depth coverage on today -- on today's landmark decision. we'll break down the justices's decision, explain what it means for california and what else needs to happen before marriage equality is -- equality is implemented. stay with us for complete coverage. thank you for making cute your choice for news. we'll see you the -- we'll see you the next time news breaks.

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