Gay marriage trial resumes; mayor testifies about "evolving"
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Republican mayor of San Diego testified Tuesday morning in San Francisco's federal trial on the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage.
Mayor Jerry Sanders, testifying on behalf of two same-sex couples suing to overturn the ban, said his views on gay marriage "evolved" after he learned one of his daughters is a lesbian.
The trial is now in its sixth day. It is the first in a federal court to examine whether denying homosexuals the right to wed violates their constitutional rights.
Sanders recounted his last-minute decision in 2008 to sign a city council resolution backing legal efforts to legalize same-sex marriages. The decision violated a campaign promise and his public pledge to veto the resolution.
The mayor said he had been prejudiced, adding he had been was saying same-sex marriages "were less important than those of heterosexuals."
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