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Protests Over Gay Marriage in San Francisco
Aired February 20, 2004 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: San Francisco says, I do. Sacramento says, don't you dare. What will the judge say? Divisions over same- sex unions multiplying in California by the hour.
And again this hour, we call on CNN's Rusty Dornin for the details -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, protesters are back in front of City Hall. They had disappeared for just about an hour. They went around the back door and staged what they called a sneak attack on the same-sex couples who were inside the rotunda, getting married inside City Hall, then, from the group Repent America, which is out of Philadelphia, sang gospel songs and chanted biblical verses at same-sex couples who were standing in line.
They then held a sit-down protest. One of the group's members says that they will be there every day until the city stops issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH MASON, REPENT AMERICA: I'm out here with a group of men from around the country to call to action the governor, the president, the chief of police of San Francisco to do something. These people are breaking the law. The mayor is breaking the law. And they are spitting in the face of our Constitution and the morality of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: A short time ago, there was a court hearing involving consolidating two of the lawsuits by conservative groups against the city.
No decision was made at that hearing. But there will be another one at 2:00, which they will consider the consolidation, as well as possibly the temporary restraining order against the city. Meantime, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement on his Web site, saying that the marriage certificates issued in San Francisco did not meet the legal state standards. He says his state attorney general will vigorously defend any lawsuits against the state -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rusty Dornin, live from San Francisco, thank you.
And San Francisco's gay wedding march is not even nearly in step with the rest of the nation. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows barely three Americans in 10 believe that same-sex marriages should be legally valid; 64 percent say no. But who should make the call? Americans are split on whether marriage laws are properly the purview of the state or federal governments.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 20, 2004 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: San Francisco says, I do. Sacramento says, don't you dare. What will the judge say? Divisions over same- sex unions multiplying in California by the hour.
And again this hour, we call on CNN's Rusty Dornin for the details -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, protesters are back in front of City Hall. They had disappeared for just about an hour. They went around the back door and staged what they called a sneak attack on the same-sex couples who were inside the rotunda, getting married inside City Hall, then, from the group Repent America, which is out of Philadelphia, sang gospel songs and chanted biblical verses at same-sex couples who were standing in line.
They then held a sit-down protest. One of the group's members says that they will be there every day until the city stops issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH MASON, REPENT AMERICA: I'm out here with a group of men from around the country to call to action the governor, the president, the chief of police of San Francisco to do something. These people are breaking the law. The mayor is breaking the law. And they are spitting in the face of our Constitution and the morality of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: A short time ago, there was a court hearing involving consolidating two of the lawsuits by conservative groups against the city.
No decision was made at that hearing. But there will be another one at 2:00, which they will consider the consolidation, as well as possibly the temporary restraining order against the city. Meantime, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement on his Web site, saying that the marriage certificates issued in San Francisco did not meet the legal state standards. He says his state attorney general will vigorously defend any lawsuits against the state -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Rusty Dornin, live from San Francisco, thank you.
And San Francisco's gay wedding march is not even nearly in step with the rest of the nation. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows barely three Americans in 10 believe that same-sex marriages should be legally valid; 64 percent say no. But who should make the call? Americans are split on whether marriage laws are properly the purview of the state or federal governments.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
