Was the annulment of gay marriages fair?

Eric Heins, right, and boyfriend David Glenn rally in support of gay marriage in San Francisco

California's Supreme Court has annulled nearly 4,000 gay marriages that took place in San Francisco.

The Court ruled that the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, overstepped his powers issuing same-sex marriage licences earlier this year.

Newsom gave the go-ahead to issue marriage licences, saying current legislation was discriminatory.

"The same-sex marriages authorized by the officials are void and of no legal effect," the judges said.

Gay groups slammed the decision to annul the unions as "shockingly disrespectful" while conservatives hailed the ruling as a major victory.

What do you think about the Court's decision? Could this ruling have an impact in the outcome of the next presidential election? Send us your views

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The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

This doesn't seem unreasonable. It doesn't judge on the merit of gay marriages, merely that the Mayor over extended beyond his legal powers.
Mike, GA, USA

No! What has the USA become? it's no longer liberal, democratic or free. Could this be the end of the USA as a free country, and perhaps a respected superpower? If it is, and if it was planned that way, all the way from the top then it should send shivers down everybody's spine, what's next, multi racial?
Steven Brewis, Tswane Pretoria

Approving Gay marriage is a disgrace to humanity and for all those nations that approve of it must suffer, otherwise Sodom and Gomorrah may have to appeal.
Mohamed Sheriff, MurrayTown, Sierra Leone

It was perfectly fair and legal, and just what Newsom and the couples really wanted. They knew he was deliberately overstepping the limits of his powers to make a social point. It's just like when protesters lay down in the streets, the pay-off is an arrest, to demonstrate the unfairness of whatever they're protesting.
T.J. Cassidy, Arlington, VA, USA