Gay couples disappointed by marriage ban

Thousands of gay rights supporters took to the streets of Hollywood late Wednesday outraged that California had voted to ban same-sex marriages.

The historic presidential win of Barack Obama, who promises to be far more socially liberal than his predecessor, was therefore a bitter-sweet moment for California's gay community as a simultaneous referendum went against them.

Voters approved the constitutional amendment by a margin of 52.5 to 47.5 percent, according to near complete results.

Known as "Proposition 8," the proposal was trumpeted by conservative groups as the people's way of overturning the legalization of gay marriage back in May.

For the gay community, however, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Angry crowds thronged the streets in central West Hollywood, the heart of Los Angeles' gay community, chanting slogans and waving signs.

Hundreds also gathered on the steps of San Francisco's City Hall. Some held candles and carried signs that read, "We all deserve the freedom to marry."

The referendum circumvents a California Supreme Court ruling in May that legalizes gay marriage by amending the state constitution to add the phrase: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

The court's May ruling overturned an earlier plebiscite in 2000, when 61 percent of voters agreed marriage should be defined as only being between a man and a woman.

Fearing that Proposition 8 could be approved, thousands of same-sex couples rushed to tie the knot since June, and especially in the last days.

The ruling now leaves thousands of gay couples in a legal limbo.

Those couples include some celebrity marriages such as comedienne Ellen DeGeneres who wed her long-time girlfriend Portia de Rossi in August.

本周三晚些时候，上万名同性恋权益拥护者走上好莱坞街头，抗议加州通过禁止同性恋结婚的提案。

这一提案的投票与美国大选同时进行，所以，此前承诺将在社会问题上更加开放的（民主党候选人）奥巴马的当选对于加州的同性恋者们来说，无疑是苦乐参半。

据不完全统计，该提案的支持和反对率分别为52.5%和47.5%。

这项“第8号提案”推翻了今年五月有关同性恋婚姻合法的裁决，保守派人士称，该提案的通过是人民的选择。

然而对于同性恋群体来说，这无疑是一枚难以下咽的苦果。

愤怒的抗议者聚集在洛杉矶同性恋聚集区西好莱坞中心的街道上，他们挥舞着标语、高喊口号，以示抗议。

旧金山市政厅门前也聚集了数百名抗议者，一些人拿着蜡烛，手持标语“我们都有结婚的自由。”

“第8号提案”通过修改州宪法的方式，绕过了今年5月加州最高法院做出的同性恋婚姻合法的裁决。今后加州宪法中将加入这一条：在加利福尼亚，只有一男和一女的婚姻才有效或者被承认。

加州最高法院今年5月份做出的同性恋婚姻合法的裁决推翻了2000年的一次全民表决结果，当时有61%的选民赞成只承认异性婚姻。

由于担心第8号提案通过，今年6月份以来，有数千对同性伴侣扎堆结婚，尤其在投票的前几天。

而该法案的通过使加州数千对同性伴侣陷入了尴尬境地。

其中不乏一些名人，如喜剧演员艾伦-德詹尼丝，她刚于今年八月与交往已久的女友波蒂亚•德•罗西结婚。

Vocabulary:

a bitter pill to swallow:(必须吞下去的)苦药丸, 不能不做的苦事, 不得不忍受的屈辱