Gay marriage ban challenged in California

The first US federal trial to determine whether states are allowed to ban same-sex marriages has begun in San Francisco, California.



Any ruling reached is expected to be challenged, possibly taking the case all the way to the US Supreme Court.



A Supreme Court ruling would determine the fate of gay marriages nationwide, without the possibility of appeal.



The suit, filed by two gay couples, challenges Proposition 8 which is a ban on gay marriages in the state of California.



The law amended California\'s constitution to restrict marriage to a union between a man and a woman.



Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker will now have to decide whether the ban on same-sex marriages in California is constitutional.