California officials at the state’s Office of Vital Records have given permission for county clerks to begin issuing gay marriages licenses starting on June 17, 2008. The state Supreme Court has until the end of business on June 16 to decide whether to grant a stay of its ruling which legalizes gay marriage. New forms for marriage licenses will include blanks for “Party A” and “Party B”, rather than bridge and groom.
Those opposed to gay marriage have asked the court to stay its decision until after the November election, when voters are likely to vote on a ballot initiative that would restore the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. If the initiative passes, it would overrule the Supreme Court. In the Field Poll, released after the Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage, 51 percent of respondents backed legalizing same-sex marriage and 42 percent opposed it.
Source: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/other/1110//05-28-2008/20080528125005_113.html
