Supreme Court paves way for gay marriage in several states, leaves issue unresolved nationally

Varying responses to the USSC decision.

Florida Governor Won't Back Down on Opposing Marriage Equality
Florida's governor and attorney general pledge to fight marriage equality despite U.S. Supreme Court recent refusal to review same-sex marriage appeals.

BREAKING: S.C. Won't Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples
The state's Supreme Court, at the request of Attorney General Alan Wilson, has blocked issuance of such license.

BREAKING: West Va. Won't Fight Marriage Equality
The state's top officials announced today that they won't defend West Virginia's ban on marriage equality, while two West Virginia counties are ready to issue licenses to same-sex couples immediately.

www.advocate.com...

a reply to: Annee

John Boehner is working hard to get a gay California Republican elected. The Republicans finally figured it out. The ancient bigots die off and almost all the young are down with it.

www.thedailybeast.com...

Looks like we're well past halfway. It's not over but it's looking like it pretty much is. It's like the turning point of the civil war when the North finally got their # together and everyone knew it was inevitable they'd win. When most Republicans start jumping ship you know they've surrendered. A few holdouts will keep fighting but it's just a matter of time.

a reply to: tavi45

I don't think it's going to do Boehner much good, when his party has been openly hostile toward gays having equal rights... This is clearly a "show".

While DeMaio (the guy Boehner is supporting in CA) supports ending discrimination in employment for gays, he has a less-than-stellar record of support for LGBT rights, so I don't know how many people will be swayed by his fairly new position. They don't really trust him.

“Carl DeMaio has been missing in action when it comes to LGBT rights,” Roth said. “He refused to take a public position against Prop. 8 while on the San Diego City Council, which is one of the reasons why the Human Rights Campaign and Equality California have both endorsed Scott Peters, not DeMaio.”
...
The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund have not only declined to endorse DeMaio, but have criticized his candidacy.
...
“The reason we are supporting Scott Peters is because Carl DeMaio isn’t good on LGBT issues,” Sainz said. “It’s not because there’s an anti-Republican conspiracy. We support Republican candidates. We’ve endorsed Susan Collins. The irony here is his straight opponent is 10 times better on the issues than he is.” - www.washingtonblade.com...

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Lol I wasn't saying Boehner is gonna help anything. He's pretty useless in general. I had a friend in his staff who quit because he saw how powerless the guy was.

It's more canary in the coal mine thing. When someone like Boehner (no strong views at all, a true political animal) is running from his platform of less than a year ago at breakneck speed it means the anti gays are on retreat. The only anti gay rhetoric will be from Tea Party types or those in states like Florida with more old people and hicks than young progressives.

Look at Annee's post. West Virginia and South Carolina are done? Those are two of the most conservative states out there.

originally posted by: tavi45
a reply to: Annee

John Boehner is working hard to get a gay California Republican elected. The Republicans finally figured it out. The ancient bigots die off and almost all the young are down with it.

www.thedailybeast.com...

But, it's not about being gay. It's about standing up, supporting equality and non-discrimination.

I'm not saying a gay politician needs or should campaign on "gay" issues --- he shouldn't have to.

But giving Boehner "equality" credit just for supporting a gay Republican? Naw! Can't do that.

California’s openly gay candidate is no darling of LGBT establishment: america.aljazeera.com...

The right realizes that the anti gay marriage fight is over. A recent survey of registered Republicans under the age of 30 showed that 61% believe gays should have the same rights as everyone else.

That's why John Boehner is in California supporting an openly gay GOP candidate.

The fight is over homophobes...you lost.

SCOTUS has left gay marriage unresolved nationally, but has obviously thrown their hat in the ring by saying that any state that has appealed against overturned bans against gay marriage won't be heard.

SCOTUS are basically saying with this ruling that if your state overturns gay marriage bans, they will support that decision, and overturn any court that tries to uphold gay marriage bans, in effect, meaning that if your state tries to ban gay marriage, it will be upheld as unconstitutional.

People who want gay marriage banned are on the wrong side of history, and represent a minority in the United States. It's time to have a national referendum on gay marriage, or have it approved by Presidential order as a Federal law.

Once it's a Federal Law, supported by SCOTUS, the individual states will no longer be able to challenge it.

originally posted by: babybunnies

Once it's a Federal Law, supported by SCOTUS, the individual states will no longer be able to challenge it.

It's a little tricky because the Constitution gives marriage rights to the states.

The USSC is doing it right in supporting the lower courts, who basically ruled marriage is an equal civil right.

However, the USSC does have the right to make marriage a Federal equal civil right, if they so choose. While states would still have the right to determine legal age, waiting periods, etc ----- they would not be able to discriminate on who can and can not get married.

originally posted by: babybunnies
It's time to have a national referendum on gay marriage, or have it approved by Presidential order as a Federal law.

If that happened, the right would absolutely flip out about big government. I think, given time, each state will have challenges to their laws and the bans will be overturned. Even in Texas. Texas Poll on Gay Marriage 58% approve, 42% disapprove.

a reply to: tavi45
Is it any surprise that many of the Republicans are either not mentioning it or changing their tune on such? The reality is that every year, there are more gay people that are coming out of the closet. And of that there is their families and friends, and slowly they are starting to add up. It is a matter of numbers, the more of a particular group there are, the more the political parties are working on courting and working to keep them happy, or take a chance that they vote for the other guy.

The voters are a fickle group, and when it comes down to where a group can sway a majority or even put forth enough to change the nature of politics, the question is can they afford to alienate one group or another?

a reply to: sdcigarpig

Republicans are pretty much alienating every group. Their only reliable demographics are old people and religious nuts. If they played the game well they'd win easily. Blacks and Hispanics are basically perfect Republicans. Both distrust Republicans thanks to the racism of the core demographic of outdated white people. They might get a some victory this election based purely on Obama hate but unless they adapt quickly and sincerely (as sincere as political parties can be lol) they are a dying party. Young people are almost entirely democrats or left leaning independents.

And now, Federal Judge Adds Alaska to List of Marriage Equality States

This makes 35 states in which marriage equality is legal, or whose bans have been ruled to be unconstitutional, therefore paving the way for marriage equality in those few states.

I thought this was interesting:

The gay couples who brought the case "do not ask the court to recognize an entirely new fundamental right to same-sex marriage; rather, plaintiffs wish to participate in the existing liberty granted to other couples to make a deeply personal choice about a private family matter," the judge wrote. To deny them that choice violates their constitutional rights to be free of unlawful discrimination.

Beautifully said.

Yay Alaska! (Only 15 more!)

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Except Alaska's Governor is going to fight it. He won't win, of course. Just wasting taxpayer money, and dragging it out.

Christian extremists abound in Alaska.

Alaskan Gov. Will 'Defend Our (Antigay) Constitution' 'As Alaska’s governor, I have a duty to defend and uphold the law and the Alaska Constitution,' said Gov. Sean Parnell while promising to appeal a ruling striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. www.advocate.com...

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
This makes 35 states in which marriage equality is legal, or whose bans have been ruled to be unconstitutional, therefore paving the way for marriage equality in those few states.

Yay Alaska! (Only 15 more!)

Here's a good map and article:

WATCH: What Happened to Marriage Equality Last Week?

www.advocate.com...

Thanks, Annee. I came across this interesting article chart that compares interracial marriage to the marriage equality struggle over the years.



Why gay marriage opponents lost: The social angle

Back in the 1960s and 70s, you probably would have found only a few people who would say they knew someone gay. The truth is, they probably did, but weren’t aware. Remember, the whole point of the closet was to be invisible. It would be “oh, just those two ladies who’ve lived with each other for decades.” Or the “confirmed bachelor neighbor” who always seemed to have a handsome friend with him.

By the time we got to the late 1990s, there weren’t nearly as many people who would or could say the same. It seems like everybody knew someone who was gay, and increasing numbers were gay family members.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
Thanks, Annee. I came across this interesting article chart that compares interracial marriage to the marriage equality struggle over the years.

Thanks. Enlightening.

Isn't it interesting that the same basic group of people who opposed interracial marriage is the same as those who oppose marriage equality.

Another one falls.

Didn't the SC already decide the issue?

Florida AG Asks State Supreme Court to Decide Marriage Now After losing five times in state and federal courts attempting to defend Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, Attorney General Pam Bondi now wants the state Supreme Court to decide the issue.

LOVE THIS PART (twice divorced, with no children) . Bondi is a Republican running for reelection in a heated race against Democratic candidate George Sheldon. The twice-divorced attorney general has consistently argued in state and federal court that Florida's ban on same-sex marriage is beneficial for children, claiming that opposite-sex parents are optimal for raising children in "stable and enduring family units."

www.advocate.com...

a reply to: Annee

"stable and enduring family units"... Hilarious! His reasoning is just fantasy. If they permitted marriage based on stability and children, MANY heterosexual people would not be allowed to marry and some gays actually would. These excuses people come up with are absurd on the face!

It's like I posted in another thread, people are so afraid of their bigotry being revealed, that they make their arguments sound half-way reasonable by hinting at some underlying judgment (like 'gay families make unstable and short-lived relationships') and hope other bigots catch on and agree. And they do. We see these totally illogical reasons repeated again and again. They want to avoid being called a bigot, but they're revealing their bigotry as plainly as if they'd said it outright.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

. . . people are so afraid of their bigotry being revealed, that they make their arguments sound half-way reasonable by hinting at some underlying judgment (like 'gay families make unstable and short-lived relationships') and hope other bigots catch on and agree. And they do. We see these totally illogical reasons repeated again and again. They want to avoid being called a bigot, but they're revealing their bigotry as plainly as if they'd said it outright.

Yep, that was a good one.

. . . Or using their own children to "justify" the "argument".

Some of them are real "classics".

Arizona Now Has Marriage Equality
A federal judge clears the way for the Grand Canyon State to get marriage equality.

www.advocate.com...