The California Supreme Court held that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the California Constitution; state voters then passed a ballot initiative, Proposition 8, amending the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Same-sex couples who wished to marry filed suit in federal court, challenging Proposition 8. State officials refused to defend the law, so the district court allowed the initiative's official proponents to intervene, declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional, and enjoined its enforcement.

Additional Tags

marriage equality, same sex marriage, hollingsworth v. perry, judicial activism, proposition 8, changing face of marriage

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 5 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)