Catholic World News News Feature
Top California Democrats knew of gay marriage plan February 18, 2004
The plan to issue marriage licenses to homosexuals in San Francisco was already known by Democrats, including California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, before the fact, according to local media reports
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom reportedly formulated the plan while listening to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address, which he attended as a guest of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. President Bush, in his address, expressed his desire to outlaw same-sex marriage.
Newsom immediately formed a committee to discuss the implications of issuing the licenses. The committee included leaders of homosexual activist groups from around the country, as well as Newsom's chief of staff-- homosexual Steve Kawa-- and other top staffers in Newsom's office. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, it was after this meeting on February 9 that they notified the offices of Pelosi, US Senator Dianne Feinstein, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer, and national Democrat Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe.
The first "marriage" ceremony on Thursday, which was filmed by Debra Chasnoff, the Academy Award-winning documentarian, and attended by reporters, was kept a secret in order to prevent pro-family advocates from stopping the ceremony. Newsom's communications chief, Peter Ragone, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the mayor "wanted it done quietly."
Lawyers for pro-family opponents of the licenses trying to get an emergency injunction were told to return to court on Tuesday. The lawyers called Newsom's move "municipal anarchy." But during two separate hearings, two judges refused to put a halt to the massive civil disobedience. However, one judge scheduled another hearing for Friday, and the other ordered the city to "cease and desist" or come back to court on March 29 to explain why it hasn't.
Meanwhile, more than 2,500 gay couples have wed in the six days that San Francisco has ignored state law defining marriage as one man and one woman.
