The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage.

A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that Proposition 8, which limits marriage to one man and one woman and was approved by voters in 2008, violates equal protection rights under the U.S. Constitution.

"Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples," the court said.

Orange County gay rights activists will celebrate the decision at the Church of the Messiah, starting at 6:30 p.m. The church is located at 614 N. Bush St. in Santa Ana.

Several organizations, including the Orange County Equality Organization and Gay Neighbors, Families and Friends of Santa Ana plan to talk about what the decision means for the future of same-sex couples.

"I'm excited, relieved and happy that our dignity has been affirmed," said Linda May, a board member for the Orange County Equality Organization.

Still, May acknowledged that gay marriage supporters face a long fight, as the federal appeals court's decision will be appealed, and Proposition 8 is likely to head to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The reality is, it's a carrot that's been dangled in front of us," May said.

The court on Tuesday also ruled that gay marriage cannot continue until the deadline passes for sponsors of Proposition 8 to appeal the decision. Same-sex marriage would then be delayed at least until the appeal is resolved.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who is now retired, ruled in 2010 that the ban violated federal equal protection rights for gay and lesbian couples. 

The panel's ruling upheld that decision.

In a separate ruling, the court found no evidence that Walker was biased in his decision because he is gay and was in a relationship with another man.

​Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel today led off his daily radio program Pastor's Perspective not with a prayer, but a protest. More >>

​The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday is expected to release a decision on Proposition 8, the state's same-sex marriage ban approved by voters in 2008.

​Whoa! It looked for a second like Rick Warren had come out of the closet--and brought out Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum with him. He tweeted Sunday: "Mrs #RickSantorum once gave me her ticket to State of the Union.She stayed with kids.So we went as Rick&Rick!" More >>

Warren: Bustin' out his righteous pimp hand?

​It's rare that we ever offer kind words about Saddleback Church's Rick Warren--scratch that, I do believe this is the first time EVER we'll ever offer kind words about Purpose-Driven® Rick. But we praise the good 'round here, and that's exactly what Warren and his wife, Kay, have done in taking on the lunatics over at the American Family Association, that infamous group of haters created by arch-moral Know Nothing James Dobson.

The topic? A pet cause of the Warrens: AIDS.
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​The California Supreme Court ruled today that gay marriage foes can fight the reversal of Prop 8.

Because the offices of the governor and state attorney general refuse to defend the same-sex marriage ban, legal scholars such as UC Irvine School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky had opined that Prop 8 proponents have no legal standing to appeal a federal court ruling against the voter initiative.
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​According to one political group's reasoning during a recent anti-gay campaign, "[Heterosexual] marriage protects children's physical and mental health, providing them with a deep measure of emotional and financial security."

Try to explain that to Heather, 12, William, 9, and 7-year-old Donnie, who was born with methamphetamine in his blood.

These Orange County children have a married mother and father, but government officials decided it was in the best interests of the kids to permanently remove them from that family and--oh, my, will the world come to an end?--allow them to be raised by one woman.
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​With the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, you'd think the leading opponent of the policy prohibiting gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military would be celebrating.

But Tustin's Dan Choi, the Army National Guard lieutenant who was discharged from his upper New York state unit in 2010 for violating the policy, reportedly says, "I'm not going to party."

WTF?
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​We still miss Daffodil J. Altan 'round these parts for her methodical reporting, stirring verse, easy laugh and shock of curls, but we're happy to report that she's continuing to create great work. Colorlines reported this week that Altan--now a producer with mun2, NBC's Latino network--just made a documentary for the channel on the Miss Hermosa y Protegida pageant, the contest run by The Center OC for transgendered Latinas, which Daffodil covered for us in 2008.

The documentary after the jump!
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​This week was an especially fruitful one for ugly police mugshots. There are the skinhead San Clemente home invaders. As previously noted, a suspected student loan bilker is certainly no looker. And by shear weight alone, a 300-pound rape suspect had it locked.

But then we took a gander at the mugshot of Marten Joseph Brandel at right.

Ladies and germs, we not only have this week's winner but a first-ballot candidate for the Ugly Police Mugshot Hall of Fame.
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