California

• 2010 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral argument in an appeal of the Prop 8 challenge.
• 2010 A federal district court in California holds that Prop 8 violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the federal constitution following a trial on the merits.
• 2009 The California Supreme Court upholds Prop 8 as a valid constitutional change but holds that it does not affect the continuing validity of marriages between same-sex couples celebrated before passage of Prop 8.
• 2008 Prop 8, an antigay ballot initiative to change the California Constitution to eliminate same-sex couples' right to marry, narrowly passes.
• 2008 The California Supreme Court rules that the state may no longer exclude same-sex couples from civil marriage and strikes down the 2000 ballot initiative.
• 2005 California's domestic partner law is expanded to include nearly all rights and responsibilities of spouses under state law.
• 2000 A ballot initiative is passed by voters which selectively amends California law to require the state to discriminate against same-sex couples' lawful marriages while nevertheless recognizing all other out-of-state marriages.
• 2000 Same-sex couples are able to register as domestic partners with the state of California.

See Cal. Gov. Code §§ 12920, 12940, 12926 and 12949.