Robin Tyler and Diane Olson's request for a marriage certificate was rejected for the third time by the Beverly Hills Courthouse where the lesbian couple also made unsuccessful Valentine's Day attempts in 2004 and 2006.

After the failed attempt, the two women held a news conference with their attorney, Gloria Allred, who presented them with a copy of the brief filed today in their case with the California Supreme Court.

Tyler said she and Olson feel they have a right to marry and have no plans to give up their push for legalized same-sex marriage.

Olson is a granddaughter of Culbert Olson, California's governor from 1939-43.

Supporters of same-sex marriage have said it is discriminatory to prohibit same-sex couples from getting married, while opponents say only a marriage between a man and a woman fits the definition of marriage.

In San Francisco, protestors lined up outside a number of local county clerks offices as part of an effort to draw attention to the fact that same-sex couples are denied marriage licenses.

They planned to apply for and be denied marriage certificates on Valentine's Day in a symbolic move to highlight what they call a civil rights issue.

Wednesday also marked the third anniversary of the decision by San Francisco's liberal mayor Gavin Newsom to grant marriage licenses to nearly 4,000 same-sex couples.

Although the licenses were eventually revoked by the courts, the move in 2004 brought the Democrat mayor international recognition.

Newsom said on Wednesday that he was "more resolved than ever" on the issue, which have prompted the courts across the United States to quickly rule against same-sex marriage.

In Woodland, a city about 130 kilometers northeast of San Francisco, Yolo Country Clerk Freddie Oakley took a stand against the state law and handed out certificates to same-sex couples.

The documents, which Oakley called "certificates of inequality"and paid for with her own money, were not legally binding.

The 60-year-old county official said she could not continue to stand by and say "no" to same-sex couples.

"I think it's a discriminatory law, a violation of civil rights-- the government discriminating against people based on gender....I think it's a bad law, so this is me protesting a bad law in a small way," Oakley said told a local television channel.

The California Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on same-sex marriage some time this year.