■ EQCA Legislative Advocate Kendra Harris, left, and EQCA Government Affairs Director Alice Kessler deliver signatures to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. photo: Equality California

SACRAMENTO, September 21, 2007  –  Equality California delivered nearly 15,000 petitions to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday, calling on him to sign legislation that would give same-sex couples the option to marry.

The petitions were signed by 14,766 Californians who signed EQCA’s online petition supporting AB 43, the recently-passed marriage bill that is on its way to the governor’s desk.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has vowed to veto the legislation.

“EQCA urges the governor to recognize that public support for marriage is growing, and we ask him to respect the wishes of the thousands of Californians who believe all couples should be afforded the honor and recognition that come only with marriage,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors.

“Our hope is that the governor takes into account the lives of countless California families who would be impacted by this legislation before he makes his final decision,” Mr. Kors said.

On September 8, EQCA launched an online campaign to secure 10,000 signatures from Californians in support of AB 43, authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and sponsored by EQCA.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act guarantees the constitution’s promise of religious freedom and extends the vital benefits and protections afforded in marriage to loving, committed same-sex couples.

In a matter of days, 10,000 Californians had signed the petition. In less than a week, the total of signatures quickly surpassed the 14,000 mark.

“These names represent just a small percentage of the fair-minded Californians who support marriage for all couples,” Mr. Kors said.

“EQCA thanks the thousands of people who took a moment to sign the petition calling on our state to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage.”

On Wednesday, the Mayor of San Diego in Southern California, announced that he was supporting gay marriage in California.

Mayor Jerry Sanders, also a Republican, had previously been against gay marriage.  But in an emotional announcement in from of television cameras, he said that he had changed his mind as his daughter List was gay, as were several on his personal staff.

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Posted: 22 September 2007 at 00:30 (UK time)