Californians will vote on a proposal to amend the state Constitution on the 2024 ballot to reaffirm gay marriage rights — a cautious move that comes amid national anxiety after recent rulings by the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court, including overturning Roe vs. Wade protecting the right to an abortion.
Although there is no current threat to the legality of gay marriage, and President Joe Biden signed a bill safeguarding it last year, the Democratic-dominant state Legislature is seeking to remove language from California's Constitution that still defines marriage as between a man and woman.
The outdated state definition has been deemed unenforceable and unconstitutional thanks to federal law, but LGBTQ advocacy groups are asking voters to repeal it and amend the California Constitution to instead explicitly state that marriage is "a fundamental right."
