Newsom takes victory lap after state Supreme Court gay marriage ruling

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom: Getty Images PhotoSan Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is taking a victory lap today after the California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of gay marriage.

Newsom, who in February 2004 issued a directive allowing same sex couples to wed in the city, said today’s decision was a victory for equality.

“We could not be more proud and exhilarated,” Newsom said  in a conference call with reporters an hour after the decision was posted on the Court’s Web site.

Newsom, who is now in his second term and will likely be a Democratic candidate in the 2010 governor’s race, said efforts were already underway to defeat a measure likely to be placed on the November ballot by religious conservative groups proposing to make gay marriage illegal. He was quick to point out that today’s 4-3 decision in favor of offering protections for gay marriage rights took place in a court in which 6 of the 7 judges were appointed by Republican governors.

In August 2004 the state Supreme Court ruled that Newsom lacked the authority to issue the directive allowing the couples to be wed and invalidated the nearly 4,000 marriages that took place in San Francisco. Newsom said today that the 2004 marriages were still invalid and that if the couples wanted to regain their licenses they could do so.

The mayor said that San Francisco would be prepared to wed same sex couples in the next 30 days or so.