the constitution goes a promise of equal protection under the law. this fight began eight years ago, almost to the day when they are gavin newsom will lead decided to issue licenses to same-sex couples. [applause] shortly after, san francisco would distinguish itself as the first government in american history to strike down marriage laws that discriminate against same-sex partners. fortunately, we would not be alone. in addition to the brave plan, we successfully recruited to does another series - -cities -- cities and counties statewide. we are still fighting in

california today, six states issue marriage licenses to same- sex couples. we owe a debt of gratitude to all that began in this building eight years ago. together, we started an argument for a quality. and we put a human face on marriage discrimination. i speak for everyone in my office when i say how honored we are to continue to work alongside the american foundation for equal rights. the outstanding legal team and the couple's the represent. -also very proud of the deputies in my office that worked so hard on this appeal. the deputy city attorney's.

i also want to thank all the city officials whose support has been instrumental from the beginning. i know the terms city family is sometimes criticized, but i can't think of a better, more fitting expression of what it means to have the strong support of mayor lee and the board of supervisors with a cause that matters so deeply to california and the nation. we will take your questions shortly, but the mayor and members of the board have some additional obligations. i want to give them the opportunity to say a few words haland express their thoughts. [applause] >> thank you, dennis. i have often said this is the year of the dragon, and that means you have to confront your challenges. what a way to confront this

challenge that has been with us for some many years. this is the greatest opportunity i have seen, it is one that i truly am celebrating with the city family, but i most want to thank the people that have battled this for some years. on behalf of all families in the state of california, and this is a family issue, one that we felt we were on the right side of history for some many years. without hesitation, i want to thank our city attorney and they're wonderful staff for continuing this battle all the way to the federal court. eight years ago, i watched as all of you, various levels of city hall, we knew that we were

on the right side of history that many years ago. we knew that there would be some fights ahead of us. we did the writing and as your city minister at that time, going through and getting the marriage is ready. we are doing the same thing, we are getting ready. because your constitutional rights should not have to wait. they really should not have to wait for everybody else to catch up. i know that we still have a court proceedings that will be studying, but we need to take this opportunity to thank everyone that is often part of this great movement. i had a chance of a couple weeks ago to join mayors across the country on the freedom to marry movement, and you are hearing that more and more mayors and

the states are accepting, recognizing the constitutional rights. for this court of appeals to have made such a significant ruling on this california proposition, it is very historic and very significant. most importantly, in addition, people worked very hard in the communities worked very hard. the hundreds of families that have been waited for so long -- waiting for so long. this is how the society comes together, moments where we can celebrate and recognize there is no difference among all of us. this is a family, in large part, for humanity. congratulations. [applause] >> of what like to point out, the u.s. conference of mayors,

these that they have taken to brought in the constituency. i want to have the mayor for his leadership in that effort. and mayor jerry sanders from san diego. he was a witness in this case, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. >> if i hadn't mentioned it, gavin newsom was brave 8 years ago. that was something that i have been very fortunate to take up, it is a cause that we will continue. [applause] >> we are very lucky to have a tremendous support of supervisors that have been supportive.

and i would like to invite supervisor scott winer an -- wiener and newly appointed supervisor chrstine olague. [applause] >> i know i am speaking on behalf of the board to talk about how incredibly excited we all are today. i can say that personally, my past life as a deputy city attorney, i saw firsthand, the steady leadership of my former boss and our great city attorney, dennis herrerra. every so often, we get a court ruling that reaffirms our faith in the judicial system and in our constitution. back with a supreme court struck down the abomination amendment out of colorado that would have made gay people and lgbt people

second-class citizens. today, to have federal appeals court to recognize the basic humanity of lgbt people everywhere, it is a time for celebration and a time for all of us come together as a community. we have to get back to work because the fight is not done and we have to pass through to the very end where we have marriage equality for every single person in this country. [applause] >> i wanted to mention a supervisor david campos. he can't be here because he is

ill. he wanted to send his greetings and he will be thrilled about this decision. it reminds me how wonderful it is to live in san francisco. i love san francisco, it is a great city. this is a civil rights victory but it is also a human rights victory. we have a right, just like everyone else, to be married, divorced, to walk down the middle of oklahoma openly queer in the middle of the day and not be harassed and persecuted for who we are. i believe this is a wonderful day for all of us that are not just lgbtq activists, but human rights activists. we want to be treated in a humane way, it is just that simple. i want to thank all of the

activists that fought so hard to make sure that this day happen, maybe we will catch up with spain and other parts of europe. it is such a catholic country and it has been legal there for many years. we will get there. i am confident of that. >> i want to thank the supervisors. we have everybody here. and before we open it up for questions, i know that there are representatives here from senator leno's office, members of the equaly california. thank you for being here. there is another elected official i like to give the opportunity to come up sf few words, how that as our

treasurer-- and say a few words, and that is our treasurer. >> as a member of the gay community and as an elected official, more importantly, the incredible work like nclr, and equality california, they have championed the cause. i have seen some many representatives that have kept this issue alive and to make sure that people never forget allen gordon it is that everybody in our state and in our country have equal rights. >> i know we have representatives here. we'll open it up for questions. right now there is a stay in place from the ninth circuit court of appeals.

we will have to wait in see what happens. the other side has the opportunity to seek a hearing or to try and competition for the u.s. supreme court. for now, the state stays in place and we will take it one step at a time and to monitor as the legal proceedings developed. i will be in close contact with the mayor if that should change. he has assured me that the city mechanisms and machinery stand ready to do whatever it can to expedite marriages in the event that it was to be something that we could do. right now, we are taking it one step at a time. [inaudible] >> i have instructed the county clerk to immediately communicate with all of the county clerk's across the state to make sure we are using the same forms.

we want the dignity to be reflected in every jurisdiction of this state when the decision is handed down. and that has also been the wonderful part of it. we treated everyone with a the same dignity, that is what people wanted. >> [inaudible] >> the earliest that they could issue them in his 21 days. and we will monitor closely the next three weeks to see how things work. >> the proponents could petition and ask the ninth circuit to extend the stay.

i would not be surprised if they did. they will have to do that before the mandate issues. >> [inaudible] >> i think you are correct, it is very unlikely that it will be denied. right now we have to see if they will petition for review in the next 14 days. the earliest that if there was not a petition for review, the very earliest something could happen would be going before the supreme court if they were to accept its in the late fall or early winter of this year, but that is a very aggressive

timeline. >> [inaudible] >> i did. >> [inaudible] >> that's correct. that's correct. that's correct. >> [inaudible] >> yeah. i mean, this is -- if you go back and look at a briefing in this case, that is the exact argument that the city made and terry argued in the ninth circuit. in the chronicle this morning, there could of been a variety of ways that this case went. the ninth circuit chose a narrow approach that applies only to california.

and based upon the panoply of rights that are already given to lgbt people in califormiania, there was no rational basis to have prop 8 be declared constitutional. they said it was so focused on taking the dignity away from same-sex couples that there was no rational basis whatsoever. it could not be reconciled with the panoply of rice that are already provided to lgbt people in california. they aplpiplied it only to california. we are very gratified by how thoughtful and well-reasoned to

the ninth circuit's opinion was , and we continue to a look forward to making the arguments. >> [inaudible] >> i can say we are disappointed of zero. the most important thing is to make sure that we have the ability to marriage same-sex couples in california. that is what san francisco has been focused on from when we started this fire eight years ago. it is another brick in the wall, another step in the process. if you look at how far we have come in eight years, six states, the district of columbia issuing marriage licenses, i am not disappointed with the ruling at all. in fact, i am very gratified with where we are at today and we continue to make progress and

move forward. >> [inaudible] >> i don't pretend to be in the minds of justices, but as we know, and the high court oftentimes like to take cases when they are ready for them and take an incremental approach. as we see things develop, we have seen progress, and i have no doubt that the tide of history is that our side. i am sure that whether it is a narrow or brought decision, it will inform how the justices look at the case and how they decide whether to take it or not. i am sure it plays a little better. >> [inaudible]

>> you know, i have never gotten cynical on this. we have always had hope that the right thing would be done in this is another verification of it. it is a brick, but it is a huge brick. we needed that confirmation from these ports. is it legal? is it not legal? we have quite a few hundred challenges. it was very frustrating. the only for the city but for the state of california. it saves us in terms of our understanding and how equal we all are under the law. that, to me, is a really positive message. we will keep that hope alive and we will keep the foundation

strong. i think and i feel that this is a time that these appeals will be exhausted. >> [inaudible] >> hate crimes is obviously something that we always want to be vigilant about. they're very strong responses to that predictability. we do think that this is the right direction, they applied to

themselves and all of the reverse families of his bay area region. we are not afraid of that risk, if you will. i think this is been in front of everybody for a long time and the degree of acceptability and understanding has foundational lay there. -- foundationally there. >> [inaudible] >> you recall that we tried the case on the very broad theory to try to show because no matter where you are in the country, it doesn't make any sense and it is not irrational thing and to deprive the people the right to

marry. on appeal, we felt that it would be important to add a separate voice to say that in addition to those arguments the plaintiffs continue to the advance, there is a particular reason -- it did not change any of the family laws. it is not discouraging people from having children or -- it enables the court to decide the issue. without necessarily reaching what happened in the rest of the states.

the supreme court like to often act incrementally. the ninth circuit to of the alternative. >> [inaudible] >> unfortunately, i have not have the opportunity to review the entirety of the opinion, but i think it was a fairly strong ruling that with respect to what it was that we alluded to. there is no rational basis to put it forward but for wanting to single out one group for discriminatory treatment. when you are just focused on the

title without going after any of the panoply of rights that lgbt people have in california. i think that really struck them in terms of the motivation. i think that it was getting to that motivation. >> [inaudible] >> i have to tell you that to me, it was a lot of argument that i found particularly offensive. it was all the way through, if you follow that line of reasoning, as ridiculous as it is, it means a woman couldn't sit on a gender discoloration case or an african american

judge could not sit on race discrimination case. i think that was particularly offensive and i am glad that they rejected that out of hand. >> [unintelligible] >> [inaudible] >> there is the chance that the supreme court could and by taking this case up. and that case, the ninth circuit ruling is final and it would apply here in the state of california, and we can move forward. >> [inaudible] >> i think that the city's position has always been clear,

that we are dealing with civil marriage. we are not dealing with the religious traditions of the faith with respect to marriage. we have been consistent with that for the last 80 years -- 8 years. that is always been the city's position that each faith leves iaves it up to them to exercise their decisions. any other questions? >> any frustration on the fact you have a winning opinion, but there won't be any marriages in the foreseeable future?

>> we have been dealing with this for eight years, and there have been ups and downs. we have to wait the years, but progress has been made in that time frame. i choose to be an optimist and focus on the progress that we have made, understanding that history is on the side of marriage and quality. certainly, i wish that when we dealt with this years ago, that was the end of it. it is hard to fight, but you have to. i want to focus on the progress we have made. >> [inaudible] >> if the case goes -- i imagine

what will happen is that probably both sides will encourage the ninth circuit to proceed on an expedited schedule. that is about as much as you can do, and they can do that either because of hearty petitions. i think the latter is very unlikely. >> thank you for being here, we appreciate it. [applause]