As you may have heard, the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage this morning. Meaning that California could be the second US state to legalize gay marriage.

The California Supreme Court ruled today that same-sex couples should be permitted to marry, rejecting state marriage laws as discriminatory.

The state high court’s 4-3 ruling was unlikely to end the debate over gay matrimony in California. A group has circulated petitions for a November ballot initiative that would amend the state Constitution to block same-sex marriage, while the Legislature has twice passed bills to authorize gay marriage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed both.

Several gay and lesbian couples-along with the city of San Francisco and gay right groups - had sued, saying they were victims of unlawful discrimination.

A lower court ruled San Francisco acted unlawfully in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples but Thursday’s ruling over turned that decision.

“In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation,” the court said in the 120-page ruling, “and, more generally, that an individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights.”