Same-sex marriages: Proposition 8 was a constitutional amendment passed in 2008 in the state of California. The amendment specified in law that only marriages between men and women would be recognized in the state. See this article for background: www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0113/Prop.-8-trial-Did-animosity-drive-California-s-gay-marriage-ban Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the proponents who intervened to defend Proposition 8 did not have legal standing based on the U.S. Constitution and that their appeal should be dismissed. The court's decision cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California. It also meant that same-sex couples married in jurisdictions that permit such unions could not be denied federal benefits. Class, What are the pros and cons of legislation such as Proposition 8