Prop. 8 ruling ‘particularly emotional’ for Portantino
Politicians around the region had strong reactions to Tuesday’s federal court decision overturning California’s ban on gay marriages. For Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), the ruling was “particularly emotional.”
Portantino’s brother Michael, who was gay, advocated for gay rights for decades. Michael Portantino was also the editor of the San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times. He committed suicide last year at age 52.
“My brother fought this battle for three decades,” Assemblyman Portantino said Friday. “He spent his life fighting for equality and civil rights. It was a lifelong dream of his to be treated like everyone else.”
Tuesday’s 2-1 decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriages approved by California voters in 2008 by a 52% to 48% margin. The majority held that the proposition denied gays equal treatment under the law. The ruling may not be the last word in the case, as supporters of the proposition plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, whose district includes Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge and neighboring cities, blasted the decision.
“Once again, activist judges with a political correctness agenda have disenfranchised the people who voted overwhelmingly to oppose same-sex marriage in California — over 4.5 million Californians in 2000, and over 7 million in 2008,” Antonovich said in a written statement.
He also backed pledges by Proposition 8 supporters to take case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), on the other hand, said the ruling is a step in the right direction, calling it “another step toward full equality for all Americans.”
The government should not interfere in personal lives, said Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake), who this year is seeking election to a district that would include La Cañada, said he supports gay marriage.
“I, for one, prefer to live in a nation and state where the government stays out of loving relationships in people’s bedrooms,” Gatto said. “Proposition 8 was a divisive, hate-filled measure when it passed, and it was nice for the court to recognize that.”
State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) said the ruling is another victory for civil rights.
“This important decision puts California one step closer to where it should be — a state where all our citizens can enjoy the freedom to marry,” Liu said in a statement.
Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), whose district includes San Marino, applauded the decision. He drew a connection between past injustices that denied property and civil rights to Asian Americans and the effort to legalize gay marriage in California. Eng has sponsored measures to commemorate the Chinese Exclusion Act of the 1880s and another to recognize Japanese American civil rights leader Fred Korematsu, who fought the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
“Those of us who have been on the receiving end of similar exclusionary legislation believe the best way we can commemorate and remember our history is to develop a society that is more inclusive,” he said.
City Editor Bill Kisliuk contributed to this story.
