California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a ban on same-sex marriage that state voters passed in November, but it allowed about 18,000 marriages performed before the ban to remain valid.

The decision Tuesday rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

Opponents of the ban argued that the controversial Proposition 8 improperly altered the California Constitution to restrict a fundamental right guaranteed in the state's charter.

This decision was met with chants from a crowd of demonstrators of about 1,000 people who gathered outside the court building in San Francisco to hear the ruling.

The ruling was 6-1.