The California Supreme Court voted 6-1 to uphold the ban on gay marriages. The court is, however, allowing all marriages issued before November 5 to remain legit, which amount to 18,000 marriages in all.

The court argued that Prop 8 only restricts the definition of the word “marriage” and does not otherwise infringe on the constitutional rights of gay couples. Couples receive separate-but-equal rights under domestic partnership.

The move seems to contradict the court’s previous stance in May 2008, when it struck down the ban on gay marriage 4-3. At the time, the court argued that the right to marry was protected by the state constitution. Prop 8, voted for by the Californians, amended the constitution to allow the ban.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued an immediate response to the ban saying, “Ours is a movement powered by resilience,” and urged its supporters to maintain faith.