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California gay marriage ban vote to proceed


    SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California voters will have the chance to vote in November on whether to end gay marriage after the state's top court declined on Wednesday to remove an initiative on the issue from the ballot.

    California, the U.S.'s most populous state, startedmarrying same-sex couples a month ago after the CaliforniaSupreme Court ruled that limiting marriage to a man and a womanviolated the state's constitution.

    Opponents of gay marriage then placed an initiative toamend the constitution on the November ballot. "Proposition 8"declares that marriage will be limited to one man with onewoman.

    In the latest phase of a bitter legal battle, supporters ofhomosexual marriage asked the California Supreme Court toremove the issue from the ballot. The court unanimously deniedthe petition without detailed comment.

    The referendum will appear on the same ballot as thepresidential and congressional elections. It requires a simplemajority for approval.

    "We're disappointed, but this ruling does not affect thecampaign against Prop 8 in any way," said a group oforganizations fighting for gay rights including the NationalCenter for Lesbian Rights and Lambda Legal.

    California is the second U.S. state after Massachusetts toallow gay marriage, but is the only one to issue the licensesto couples from other states.

    (Reporting by Adam Tanner, editing by Alan Elsner)