Evolution Not Revolution  
Mabel Teng is assessor-recorder for the city and county of San Francisco.
Although the California Supreme Court's ruling has put a temporary stop to San Francisco's efforts to issue same-sex marriage licenses, we should not be deterred from our efforts to end discrimination against gay and lesbian families. Marriage has long been a flashpoint for the expansion of liberties in the United States. In 1948, in Perez vs. Sharp, the California Supreme Court ruled that a white woman and an African-American man had the right to marry. Almost 20 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Loving vs. Virginia that laws prohibiting intermarriage were unconstitutional. It has been a month since I had the honor of officiating at the first same-sex civil marriage ceremony of Phyllis Lyon, 79, and Del Martin, 83. Phyllis and Del are celebrating their 51st anniversary this year.