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U.S. judge lifts California gay marriage on August 18


    SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Thursday ruled that legal marriages of same-sex couples may resume next week in California, pending the appeal of his earlier decision that overturned a voter-approved ban on gay matrimony.

    The ruling allowing gay marriage will take effect at 5 p.m. PDT on August 18. Supporters of the ban, known as Proposition 8, will move forward with a request that an appeals court leave the ban intact while it considers their case.

    In a ruling that has implications for nearly 40 U.S. states with similar laws on their books, District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled last week that Prop 8 violates due-process and equal-protection rights under the U.S. Constitution.

    (Reporting by Dan Levine, writing by Peter Henderson, editing by Jackie Frank)