In May, The Am Law Daily interviewed Bruce Deming, an openly gay Covington & Burling partner in San Francisco who's had three weddings -- two of which, at least at first, were recognized as legal.
In May, Deming celebrated the California Supreme Court's ruling that legalized gay marriage. He discussed the crushing disappointment of having his 2004 marriage to his longtime partner, Jeff Byrne, overturned by a state ban, and the difficulties of talking about the issue with the couple's two adopted children, ages 10 and 6.
But the court's ruling didn't end the battle; Californians voted Tuesday on Proposition 8, which will again ban gay marriage.
"It made this feel very personal," Deming said. "It was always personal, but to see our marriage held up as an example of something wrong, it became much more personal."
It got even more personal Monday night, when Deming's daughter, 10, asked if she would have to move to another family if the ban passed.
"It was heartbreaking," Deming says. "But I'm glad she asked. I told her that we're still a family and we decide who's a family."
With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition 8 is leading with 52 percent of the vote. But there are still as many as 3 million ballots left to be counted.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera has promised to file a legal challenge in the California Supreme Court if the measure passes.
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