edschweppe: (vote at your own risk)
[personal profile] edschweppe
It's all over my friends-list, and in fact all over the news, but in case anyone missed it, a Federal judge has declared that California's "Proposition 8" (which banned same-sex marriages in the state) violates the US Constitution.

From boston.com:
A federal judge overturned California's gay-marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

The ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker touched off a celebration outside the courthouse. Gay couples waved rainbow and American flags and erupted with cheers in the city that has long been a magnet for gays.
The full decision is available on the court's website at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cand/09cv2292/files/09cv2292-ORDER.pdf (343kb) (and copies are all over the Web by now). Chief Judge Walker's conclusion is striking:
Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Walker's not what anyone would call a flaming liberal. He was originally nominated by Ronald Reagan, and appointed by George H.W. Bush, rotating to the Chief Judgeship in 2004. Maybe that'll keep the cries of "judicial activism!" down for a change.
This account has disabled anonymous posting.
(will be screened if not validated)
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

Profile

edschweppe: Myself in a black suit and black bow tie (Default)
Edmund Schweppe

February 2025

S M T W T F S
      1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
2324252627 28 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags