Last night's vigil

Last night, after working all day, I went to my church to set up for Evening Prayer, prior to the vigil at Civic Center. I was very surprised, and even a bit sad, that only one person showed up at church for the service.

Afterward I walked up to Market Street, where the march was already underway. I began walking alongside the many others. There were thousands! The police even closed down the streets to traffic there were so many people. On we went to City Hall, where I ran in to several friends (Richard Jonathan, SSF among them). There was music and speeches and cheering, and even though I was dead tired, I was so very happy. At one point I had tears streaming down my face.

Now today, in a three-hour hearing here in San Francisco, the State Supreme Court will consider challenges to Proposition 8. (Less than six months earlier, it was that same court of course that had declared that gays and lesbians had a constitutional right to marry).

The issue this time is different: not whether the marriage limitation is discriminatory or intrudes on personal freedom, but whether a majority of the voters, by amending the state Constitution, can eliminate minority rights that the court has recognized.

The hearing today starts at 9am and is expected to last three hours. The arguments will be carried on the California Channel, which is carried on Comcast cable systems in the Bay Area. The channel number varies from city to city, so check local listings. A live Webcast will be available at www.calchannel.com. The arguments will be shown on a JumboTron in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza, too. There will also be webcasts on many of the San Francisco television stations.

Pray.

We will not know anything today. A ruling is due within 90 days.