Laguna Beach challenges Prop. 8

Laguna Beach will join other California cities in a legal challenge to Proposition 8, which bans the marriage of homosexual couples.

The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to add its name to the litigation filed by the city and county San Francisco, in which the city of Los Angeles and Santa Clara County are participating.

“A lot of us were disappointed about Proposition 8,” said Councilwoman Toni Iseman.

Laguna Beach overwhelmingly voted against the proposition in the November election: 8,997-2,244.

However, the proposition passed.

“The election moved the United States out of apartheid, but we are still segregated on sex,” said Bruce Hopping.

Deborah Quan, who married her partner before Proposition 8 was passed, urged the council to support the challenge, which she said was on a fast track with the California Supreme Court.

“The [state] attorney general has announced that the court should move on this,” City Atty. Philip Kohn said.

Kohn said Laguna’s participation is a simple matter since an action had already been filed by San Francisco, the lead agency in the challenge.

Kohn communicated the city’s position Wednesday morning to the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office and requested that Laguna Beach be added as public entity challenging the validity of the recently adopted Proposition 8.

BARBARA DIAMOND can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or coastlinepilot@latimes.com.