California’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of Proposition 8 today.

“We were confident this was a constitutional amendment and that it would be upheld. It’s a great day for families in California, because the will of the people continues to count,” said Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute.

The central issue was whether Proposition 8 properly amended or improperly revised the California Constitution. In a 6-1 vote, every justice except Justice Carlos R. Moreno called it an amendment.

Going forward, marriage will continue to be defined as between one man and one woman. Same-sex couples who were married in California before Proposition 8 passed will stay married, however, because the high court voted to uphold their marriages.

“The court placed our state in this untenable situation by allowing almost 18,000 homosexual couples to marry last summer, before Proposition 8 was approved by voters,” stated England. “Legally, these marriages cannot be valid. The constitution clearly states that only man-woman marriage is valid or recognized in California. The court has undermined its own authority by allowing these faux marriages to stand.”

“Californians have now voted twice to affirm husband-wife marriage. Prop 8 opponents tried to overrule the people in the courts, but today the Supreme Court defended California’s proper initiative system,” England said.

While marriage supporters across the nation celebrate Proposition 8, its opponents will take to the streets today and on Saturday. They are ready to protest the ruling with public demonstrations.

In the Bay Area, they plan to feature local clergy and to engage in civil disobedience. Taking inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., their message is that “separate is not equal.”

“As a mixed race woman, I know that two people with different coloring in their skin or hair are not fundamentally different. But men and women are fundamentally different,” said Raija Churchill, Policy Writer and Researcher for Capitol Resource Institute.

“That’s why we affirm that marriage is between one man and one woman, regardless of coloring,” she said.

“This is a great victory for California. The message is that rule of law counts and we can’t just sidestep the initiative process for political gain,” England said.