Mary Poppins the Question

California Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer, for the County of San Francisco has issued this tentative ruling invalidating CA ban on gay marriage on state constitution equal protection grounds. Lockyer has promised to appeal. AP report here. I'll have my own thoughts on this after my afternoon nap. Happy Siesta.

UPDATE 1: I haven't had a chance to put my thoughts together, though I did read the opinion, I want, for now, to point to the LA Times Editorial today:

Those uncomfortable with the concept of gay marriage — and according to opinion polls, that includes a majority of Americans — may argue that marriage is an unnecessary step because California law already grants same-sex couples who register as domestic partners virtually the same state rights and responsibilities as married couples. That argument further undermines any reason for states to make the moral judgments about which adults can marry and which can't. Let priests, rabbis and imams decide which marriages should receive their blessing, but as to legal and social rights, the state has no business discriminating.

The legal battles over same-sex marriage are not the first time that the courts have gotten ahead of public opinion on social issues. This nation's long civil rights history is one of two steps forward, backlash, another step or two forward.