In a not-unanticipated but nonetheless dismaying decision, the California Supreme Court upheld last Fall's Proposition 8 referendum officially designating "marriage" as only available to opposite-sex couples.

If you're in Providence this evening, you might want to join the folks from MERI to speak out:

Today's disappointing decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold the state's gay-marriage ban created by voter initiative Proposition 8 now establishes a tier of second-class citizens within the gay community - those whose marriages are legal and those who cannot access the same legal rights.

The Court has allowed the 18,000 existing same-sex marriages performed in the state beginning June 16, 2008 to remain legal. Still, thousands more gay and lesbian citizens remain on the outside looking in, unable to legally marry in their home state.

Join the national outange and take part in Rhode Island's answer to the National Day Of Decision Rallies: Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm gather behind the Licht Judicial Complex (Supreme and Superior Court building, 250 Benefit Street, Providence) on the South Main Street side (next to Hemingway's). Bring a candle and raise your voice.

Resources
California Supreme Court decision (PDF 788K)
Marriage Equality Rhode Island
ACLU Action page