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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has denied a motion to lift the stay on same-sex marriages in California pending an appeal of a federal decision that reversed Proposition 8, the state's 2008 voter-approved marriage equality ban.
The federal appeals court gave no reason for their denial. Prop. 8 opponents were hoping that same-sex marriages would be allowed while the appeal is decided. Currently, the Ninth Circuit is trying to figure out if the appeal even has standing, as the usual defenders of a California voter initiative — the governor and attorney general — refuse to defend Prop. 8. The Ninth Circuit has asked the California supreme court if antigay groups like Protect Marriage have the right to step in on behalf of the governor and attorney general to defend Prop. 8 in court. A decision on that will likely not be made until the fall.
