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American Morning
Same-Sex Marriage
Aired February 17, 2004 - 09:32 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go out to the West Coast now. The rush to marriage continues in San Francisco, where more than 2,000 same-sex couples have been married since Thursday. About 750 couples braved chilly weather to get married yesterday at city hall. But a court challenge today could bring everything to a halt. Opponents say San Francisco is violating state law. The city its actions are supported by California's constitution.
Joining us this morning from San Francisco is the city's mayor, Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Nice to see you, Mr. Mayor. Thanks for being with us.
MYR. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), SAN FRANCISCO: My pleasure. Good morning, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There is a law in California that says that state -- that marriage is only between a man and woman. That's the only thing that is valid or recognized, and yet obviously you've gone ahead and these marriage licenses. Doesn't what you've clearly done go obviously against the letter of this law?
NEWSOM: Well, there's also a constitution in the state of California that I swore to uphold just 39 days ago, just behind me, which says, clearly, under its equal protection clause that we cannot discriminate. And what we're doing in San Francisco, or what we were doing before last Thursday, from my perspective, was clearly, by any objective standard, discriminatory. It's that oath that I'm withholding -- or rather that I'm holding as it relates to my actions as mayor, in terms of engaging in what I think is an appropriate act that will deliver on that promise of the state constitution.
O'BRIEN: You certainly run the risk of licenses that have already been given out will be invalidated by a court. Why not do a legal challenge, as opposed to going ahead and just allowing couples to get the licenses and then go ahead and get wed? Why not fight it in court first?
NEWSOM: Yes, well, I mean, the bottom line is, I took an oath of office, and I read that constitution, and nowhere in there did it say that I should discriminate. I took that oath seriously. And my, I guess, objective point is we could fight this out in court for decades and decades.
It took from 1948 to 1967 to allow interracial marriages in this country, because we waited it out in court. It seems almost inexplicable that blacks couldn't marry whites in this country. Asians couldn't marry whites in this country until the year of my birth. That is, to me, fundamentally wrong, as is, from my perspective the separate but unequal status that those of same-sex gender have currently a burden as it relates to their ability to engage in a loving relationship, like Phyllis Lyon (ph) and Del Martin (ph) who were together 51 years, and finally, had the privilege of consummating that in a way that my wife, Kimberly, and I were able to do just two years ago.
O'BRIEN: The court will hear pleas for an injunction at 11:00 Pacific Standard Time. What happens if the court issues an injunction, everything stops. What do you tell the folks who are now lined up in the hopes of getting marriage licenses? And what's your next legal steps, too?
NEWSOM: Well, we are going to fight vigorously. We've got two court dates later this afternoon. We feel very confident. But I'm also a pragmatist. I know the challenges, and I know the limitations as it relates to some of the interpretations of the law that we've seen over the past.
That being said, I think everyone behind, those who have been out overnight, and thousands, literally thousands of couples, that have entered into marriage, I think are pragmatists as well. They know exactly what they're doing, they know the limitations, they the challenges and they know the hurdles. There will be a lot of disappointed people. But we will do what we think is right as it relates to following the direction of our city attorney after the court hearing this afternoon.
O'BRIEN: One of your major opponents, a guy named Randy Thompson (ph), who is the director for the Campaign for California Families. This is what he said about you. He called you a renegade mayor, says you're violating state law, you're pretending to be a dictator, you are imposing your own values and you are really out of order. Your response to that?
NEWSOM: Well, love to meet the man, and maybe a chance we could dialogue. But I don't see the world with same set of eyes that he sees the world. I see a world where people from all walks of life come together and not discriminate against because of sexual orientation. I see a world where people are working toward their common humanity and focused on the things that bring them together and bind them together. I see a world that I saw over the course of this weekend, where people were literally coming from states across this nation, coming together, because they have been in a loving relationship for decade after decade, and they want the same privileges, and rights and obligations that were extended to my wife and I. That's the kind of world that I want to live in. That's the kind of world that I think the constitution of the state of California, for that matter, the U.S. Constitution, provides, and protects and advances. And that's why I'm going to fight hard.
With respect to this gentleman, I don't know him. His words are obviously acute. It's because he feels strongly about his point of view. I respect the difference of opinion, but certainly, I feel I took an oath of office to stop discrimination, and I'm going fight for that, as I have in the course of the last four or five days, and will fight hard in court today.
O'BRIEN: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom joining us this morning. Thanks for being with us, Mr. Mayor. Appreciate it.
NEWSOM: Thank you.
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 17, 2004 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go out to the West Coast now. The rush to marriage continues in San Francisco, where more than 2,000 same-sex couples have been married since Thursday. About 750 couples braved chilly weather to get married yesterday at city hall. But a court challenge today could bring everything to a halt. Opponents say San Francisco is violating state law. The city its actions are supported by California's constitution.
Joining us this morning from San Francisco is the city's mayor, Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Nice to see you, Mr. Mayor. Thanks for being with us.
MYR. GAVIN NEWSOM (D), SAN FRANCISCO: My pleasure. Good morning, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: There is a law in California that says that state -- that marriage is only between a man and woman. That's the only thing that is valid or recognized, and yet obviously you've gone ahead and these marriage licenses. Doesn't what you've clearly done go obviously against the letter of this law?
NEWSOM: Well, there's also a constitution in the state of California that I swore to uphold just 39 days ago, just behind me, which says, clearly, under its equal protection clause that we cannot discriminate. And what we're doing in San Francisco, or what we were doing before last Thursday, from my perspective, was clearly, by any objective standard, discriminatory. It's that oath that I'm withholding -- or rather that I'm holding as it relates to my actions as mayor, in terms of engaging in what I think is an appropriate act that will deliver on that promise of the state constitution.
O'BRIEN: You certainly run the risk of licenses that have already been given out will be invalidated by a court. Why not do a legal challenge, as opposed to going ahead and just allowing couples to get the licenses and then go ahead and get wed? Why not fight it in court first?
NEWSOM: Yes, well, I mean, the bottom line is, I took an oath of office, and I read that constitution, and nowhere in there did it say that I should discriminate. I took that oath seriously. And my, I guess, objective point is we could fight this out in court for decades and decades.
It took from 1948 to 1967 to allow interracial marriages in this country, because we waited it out in court. It seems almost inexplicable that blacks couldn't marry whites in this country. Asians couldn't marry whites in this country until the year of my birth. That is, to me, fundamentally wrong, as is, from my perspective the separate but unequal status that those of same-sex gender have currently a burden as it relates to their ability to engage in a loving relationship, like Phyllis Lyon (ph) and Del Martin (ph) who were together 51 years, and finally, had the privilege of consummating that in a way that my wife, Kimberly, and I were able to do just two years ago.
O'BRIEN: The court will hear pleas for an injunction at 11:00 Pacific Standard Time. What happens if the court issues an injunction, everything stops. What do you tell the folks who are now lined up in the hopes of getting marriage licenses? And what's your next legal steps, too?
NEWSOM: Well, we are going to fight vigorously. We've got two court dates later this afternoon. We feel very confident. But I'm also a pragmatist. I know the challenges, and I know the limitations as it relates to some of the interpretations of the law that we've seen over the past.
That being said, I think everyone behind, those who have been out overnight, and thousands, literally thousands of couples, that have entered into marriage, I think are pragmatists as well. They know exactly what they're doing, they know the limitations, they the challenges and they know the hurdles. There will be a lot of disappointed people. But we will do what we think is right as it relates to following the direction of our city attorney after the court hearing this afternoon.
O'BRIEN: One of your major opponents, a guy named Randy Thompson (ph), who is the director for the Campaign for California Families. This is what he said about you. He called you a renegade mayor, says you're violating state law, you're pretending to be a dictator, you are imposing your own values and you are really out of order. Your response to that?
NEWSOM: Well, love to meet the man, and maybe a chance we could dialogue. But I don't see the world with same set of eyes that he sees the world. I see a world where people from all walks of life come together and not discriminate against because of sexual orientation. I see a world where people are working toward their common humanity and focused on the things that bring them together and bind them together. I see a world that I saw over the course of this weekend, where people were literally coming from states across this nation, coming together, because they have been in a loving relationship for decade after decade, and they want the same privileges, and rights and obligations that were extended to my wife and I. That's the kind of world that I want to live in. That's the kind of world that I think the constitution of the state of California, for that matter, the U.S. Constitution, provides, and protects and advances. And that's why I'm going to fight hard.
With respect to this gentleman, I don't know him. His words are obviously acute. It's because he feels strongly about his point of view. I respect the difference of opinion, but certainly, I feel I took an oath of office to stop discrimination, and I'm going fight for that, as I have in the course of the last four or five days, and will fight hard in court today.
O'BRIEN: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom joining us this morning. Thanks for being with us, Mr. Mayor. Appreciate it.
NEWSOM: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
