Backers of Calif. gay marriage ban say judge erred (No anti-gay motivation!)

[WillParkinson]

Backers of Calif. gay marriage ban say judge erred
By The Associated Press
08.16.2010 4:30pm EDT

(San Francisco) California voters had sound reasons and were not motivated by anti-gay bias when they outlawed same-sex unions in 2008, sponsors of the ban said Monday while urging a federal appeals court to stop gay weddings from resuming.

In addition, the state’s interest in promoting responsible procreation through heterosexual marriages would be harmed if gay marriages were permitted while the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviews a previous ruling that overturned Proposition 8, lawyers contended in legal filings.

“The record leaves no doubt, none at all, that California, 44 other states, and the vast majority of countries throughout the world continue to draw the line at marriage because it continues to serve a vital societal interest that is equally ubiquitous – to channel potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring, stable unions for the sake of responsibly producing and raising the next generation,” the lawyers wrote.

The arguments represented a final attempt by gay marriage opponents to persuade the 9th Circuit to step in and prevent the Aug. 4 ruling by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker from taking effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

http://www.365gay.com/news/backers-of-calif-gay-marriage-ban-say-judge-erred/

[DirkGently]

1. They have to say something, or give up.

But "procreation" is a loser in a world where we have more children than adults to care for them. It just sounds slightly less ridiculous than "we wish to exclude and punish those who are different than us."