The California General Assembly has passed a gay marriage bill approved only days earlier by the State Senate. If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unwisely signs the legislation, that will add momentum to an already-planned statewide initiative to define marriage as between a man and woman only.

The merry-go-round never stops. California voters in 2000 approved Proposition 22 to limit marriage to a man and a woman only. A San Francisco judge ruled that illegal; the case is on appeal. Now the new same-sex marriage legislation confronts the Governor.

I can't say for sure the planned 2006 initiative for traditional marriage-only will pass in California, but the odds are good. A few reminders are important here. Being opposed to gay marriage doesn't make you a homophobe or bigot, as gay marriage supporters too often claim. And, state legislatures and electorates have repeatedly demonstrated their oppostion to same-sex marriage. Sometimes, even "Blue" states such as Oregon and Michigan, that went for Democrat John Kerry at the same time they voted to restrict marriage to a man and woman.

Gay marriage is an emotional, heavily-invested political identity issue for Democrats (including many straight Ds). Their insistence on pushing this symbolic agenda in place of more reasonable civil unions is as injurious to their party's fortunes, long-term, as the hardline conservative push to outlaw abortion is to Republicans.

UPDATE: Arnold will veto the bill, his spokeswoman saying the will of the voters (in Prop 22) must be respected. Absolutely right.

TECHNORATI TAGS: GAY MARRIAGE, CALIFORNIA

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Posted by Matt Rosenberg at September 7, 2005 12:23 PM