Court Puts Hold on Gay Marriage

Gay marriage in California is in limbo once again. On Monday. a federal appeals court announced an indefinite halt to the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, squashing the recent decision by a lower court judge to resume gay marriages in the Golden State. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker declared that Proposition 8 violated equal-protection rights for gays and lesbians. Proposition 8's legal team swiftly appealed the decision, an appeal that has yet to be addressed in court. Still, a possible silver lining for gay rights activists is that the ruling holds off an interference from the Supreme Court—and it’s volatile swing vote, Anthony Kennedy—who likely would have been appealed to issue a stay if this circuit had not done so. Keeping the Supreme Court of the mix for the time being allows more time to built nationwide support for the gay marriage, advocates say.