SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Judge Vaughn Walker, the California U.S. 9th District judge who declared California’s 2008 Proposition 8 unconstitutional, confirmed, for the first time, that he indeed is gay. He also made it clear in his announcement that his sexuality was irrelevant to his decision in the case.

Proposition 8, which was voted in by a narrow margin by California voters in November 2008, made same-sex marriage in California illegal.  It did, however, continue to honor couples who were married prior to the vote.

In August 2010, Walker ruled Proposition 8 violated the civil rights of same-sex couples.  During the 12-day trial, rumors had surfaced that Walker was gay.

Speaking for the first time about the case since retiring from the bench in February, former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said he never considered recusing himself from deciding the constitutionality of Proposition 8 because of his sexual orientation, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.  “If you thought a judge’s sexuality, ethnicity, national origin (or) gender would prevent the judge from handling a case, that’s a very slippery slope,” Walker told reporters. “I don’t think it’s relevant.”

Walker was a former corporate lawyer who was appointed to the federal bench by Republican President George H.W. Bush and gained a reputation during his 21-year judicial career for his libertarian leanings. Since leaving the court, the 67-year-old has returned to private law practice, specializing mediation and arbitration.