Council Opposes Legislation to Not Recognize Gay Marriages

The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to oppose legislation pending in Sacramento that would prohibit recognition in California of same-sex marriages that have been sanctioned by other states.

The emergency motion came on the heels of a party line committee vote in the state Assembly that approved the legislation, which is scheduled for a vote in the full Assembly by month’s end. The council vote was 10 to 1, with Councilman Hal Bernson casting the nay vote.

“This is a fundamental issue of civil rights,” Councilman Michael Feuer, who introduced the motion, told his colleagues. “We will not tolerate this attempt to relegate members of our society as second-class citizens.”