California Gay Couples Excited, but Worried, Over Court’s Action

Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, the plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case, have been waiting years to get married.

The Berkeley couple, who have raised four children together, could finally have held their wedding this month had the U.S. Supreme Court not agreed Friday to take up their case, in the process wading into the landmark civil rights issue.

Perry, 48, said another delay in the nuptials was a small price to pay.

“As much as Sandy and I want to be married, we want everyone … in the United States to able to be married,” Perry said. “We’ve learned how to be really patient and understanding of this process. What we ultimately wanted was the very biggest and broadest … and boldest outcome possible.”

California’s battle over gay marriage began nearly nine years ago when San Francisco abruptly allowed same-sex unions just before Valentine’s Day 2004, drawing thousands of couples to City Hall and making the state a flash point in the national debate.