[h=3]By EVAN PEREZ[/h] WASHINGTON—Justice Anthony Kennedy and others on the Supreme Court offered skeptical questions Tuesday to a lawyer defending California's ban on gay marriage, with Justice Kennedy citing what he said were thousands of California children who want the rights of their same-sex parents protected.
The court was hearing an hour of scheduled arguments on California's Proposition 8, the first chance for the justices to weigh in directly on an issue that has roiled the nation since the 1990s.
In a question to lawyer Charles Cooper, Justice Kennedy suggested that the "voices" of children with same-sex parents were important in the case. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also asked skeptical questions of Mr. Cooper.
AFP/Getty Images People line up to enter the Supreme Court on March 25.
[h=3]Waiting for Court to Weigh Gay Marriage[/h] See photos from the scene outside the Supreme Court
Getty Images
Outside the court on a chilly morning, hundreds if not thousands of people packed the sidewalks, most of them appearing to support gay marriage. One person carried a homemade sign reading "my sister and I want our moms to marry."
Others demonstrated against gay marriage, with some chanting "One man, one woman." Heidi Rombola traveled by bus from Beverly, Mass., and held a sign saying, "Kids do best with a Mom and a Dad."
Gay-marriage supporters called for a broad ruling that would sweep away dozens of state bans and establish a nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Backers of Proposition 8 said the court should leave the issue to states and warned against what they said could be a polarizing judicial decision.
"What the Supreme Court should do in this case is allow the people of California and of several states to continue to wrestle with the question of marriage through democratic institutions," said Austin R. Nimocks, one of the lawyers fighting to keep Proposition 8.
Most of those lining up for seats at the court's argument said they favored gay marriage and wanted to witness history. Frank Colasonti Jr., 61 years old, of Birmingham, Mich., said the turnout was "heartwarming" despite Washington's unseasonably chilly weather. Mr. Colasonti, who was visiting with his partner of 25 years, said he had long hoped for equal marriage rights, saying, "I never thought I would see anything in my lifetime."
Mr. Cooper, a veteran lawyer with a record of championing conservative causes such as gun rights, went first Tuesday morning to defend Proposition 8.
The court was hearing an hour of scheduled arguments on California's Proposition 8, the first chance for the justices to weigh in directly on an issue that has roiled the nation since the 1990s.
In a question to lawyer Charles Cooper, Justice Kennedy suggested that the "voices" of children with same-sex parents were important in the case. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also asked skeptical questions of Mr. Cooper.
AFP/Getty Images People line up to enter the Supreme Court on March 25.
[h=3]Waiting for Court to Weigh Gay Marriage[/h] See photos from the scene outside the Supreme Court
Getty Images
Outside the court on a chilly morning, hundreds if not thousands of people packed the sidewalks, most of them appearing to support gay marriage. One person carried a homemade sign reading "my sister and I want our moms to marry."
Others demonstrated against gay marriage, with some chanting "One man, one woman." Heidi Rombola traveled by bus from Beverly, Mass., and held a sign saying, "Kids do best with a Mom and a Dad."
Gay-marriage supporters called for a broad ruling that would sweep away dozens of state bans and establish a nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Backers of Proposition 8 said the court should leave the issue to states and warned against what they said could be a polarizing judicial decision.
"What the Supreme Court should do in this case is allow the people of California and of several states to continue to wrestle with the question of marriage through democratic institutions," said Austin R. Nimocks, one of the lawyers fighting to keep Proposition 8.
Most of those lining up for seats at the court's argument said they favored gay marriage and wanted to witness history. Frank Colasonti Jr., 61 years old, of Birmingham, Mich., said the turnout was "heartwarming" despite Washington's unseasonably chilly weather. Mr. Colasonti, who was visiting with his partner of 25 years, said he had long hoped for equal marriage rights, saying, "I never thought I would see anything in my lifetime."
Mr. Cooper, a veteran lawyer with a record of championing conservative causes such as gun rights, went first Tuesday morning to defend Proposition 8.