Gay marriage foes ask state's high court to leave Prop. 8 on November ballot

Court papers were filed Tuesday asking the California Supreme Court to reject a bid to remove Prop. 8, the so-called Defense of Marriage initiative, from the state's November general election ballot.

Two weeks ago civil rights groups filed a petition with the court asking it to remove the controversial initiative from the ballot in light of the court's May decision to legalize gay marriage across the Golden State.

But according to Howard Mintz in Tuesday's Mercury News, attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund and Protect Marriage filed a 46-page petition asking the court to leave Prop. 8 on the ballot.

Those groups opposing the court's ruling on same-sex nuptials argue that the ballot measure is a "valid way of correcting what they maintain was a flawed ruling" and that removing the initiative would be a "desperate" attempt by pro-gay marriage advocates to evade the democratic process.

If approved by the voters, Prop. 8 would amend the California Constitution to define marriage as being only between a man and a woman.

ALSO on PolitickerCA.com: 

• Bauer: California gay marriage initiative may help conservatives, conservative causes

• Obama stakes out position on California gay marriage ballot initiative