While no doubt all of the approximately 60 same-sex couples from San Diego that were married in San Francisco between Feb. 12 and March 11 of this year are disappointed by the California Supreme Court ruling on Aug. 12 effectively invalidating their marriage licenses, some of those couples are turning their anger into activism, speaking to the media about their experience and advocating for same-sex marriage through organizations like The Center’s Marriage Project and Marriage Equality California.

“We are sad that the door that was opened for one short month has now slammed shut without our day in court,” said Kati DeBolt, who married her partner of eight years, Lori Brickley, in San Francisco. “It is said however, that when one door closes, another door opens. We hope that ‘door’ is called The Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act [AB 1967] – legislation that will be reintroduced in December 2004.”

Authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno, AB 1967 would amend the state family code to define marriage as between “two persons” instead of between a man and a woman. It would permit, but not require, pastors, rabbis and other clergy to perform marriages for GLBT couples. The bill made history in May when it passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee (the first of its kind to make it that far in the California Legislature), but stalled in the Appropriations Committee pending an economic analysis of its impact, and will be reintroduced in the next legislative session.

Like DeBolt and Brickley, Win Anderson and Carlos Guzman, who married in San Francisco on March 2, are looking for the silver lining in a situation that leaves them “deeply saddened.”

“What moves us most is what’s happening now, and ever since more than 8,000 of us went to San Francisco,” Anderson said. “We’ve seen the world changing. And no law or court ruling can ever change that. Since returning from San Francisco, we’ve seen people from every walk of life step forward in support of marriage equality. … And more and more people are coming to realize that whether they are gay or straight, there is a right side and a wrong side on this historic issue.”

Anderson and Guzman appeared on NBC after the ruling, fielding questions about the marriage equality debate with a reporter who posited whether the state should call same-sex unions “marriage,” to which the couples responded that such a scenario would be separate but equal.

“There wasn’t enough time on the show to explain the tremendous legal problems such a separate-but-equal system would create, let alone discuss the prejudice that is a systemic part of separating one minority from the others,” Anderson said. “Television is not a good format for in-depth discussion.”

However, the couple appreciates the opportunity to educate the general public about the issue no matter how short the segment.

“If we don’t act, our feelings, opinions, and convictions mean nothing,” Anderson said. “Many men and women, gay and straight, agree that the current system of legalized prejudice is wrong. But … their sentiment is empty without action. We aren’t saying that everyone who sympathizes with our plight should become an activist, and devote endless hours to this difficult cause. Action can be as simple as speaking up against those who speak proudly about prejudice. Or taking time to explain the problem when talking with a neighbor, or a friend, who is less informed on the issues.”