After facing fierce opposition, legislation will come into effect today to allow same-sex couples in California to marry and have their ceremonies legally binding.

The legal right of marriage for same-sex couples may be short lived, with a referendum to appear on the November US election ballot questioning whether a previous ban on gay marriage should be reinstated. Over 1.2 million signatures were collected in order to have the issue appear on the ballot.

Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal Jennifer Pizer spoke to OUTTAKE's Charlotte Robinson and commented on countries that are proactively addressing the issue of gay rights.

“We are part of a beautiful diverse interesting spectrum of life on the planet and that’s a wonderful exciting thing. There’s nothing threatening about it. I do think that people will get use to the idea of gay marriage that this is a particular aspect of diversity is a positive thing.

“There’s no negative consequences you know gay people have strong happy productive loving relationships and we raise kids who are well adjusted and are doing well and we hope more information about this to share with people it helps remove the fears of folks who may initially found these ideas unfamiliar and you know people just need time to digest it.

“Some people are quicker to digest it then others but we’re certainly moving in a positive direction and we’re moving a lot more quickly then what was possible in the past.”

At least two Californian counties are reported to be refusing to allow same-sex marriages.

Amongst the couples who are expected to wed in coming days include Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who have been together for 56 years and had their marriage in 2004 declared illegal. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom will officiate at the ceremony. The couple’s combined age is 170 years.

Tags: gay marriage, gay rights, glbt usa