Gay Marriage

What a glorious day it was for progressives yesterday. The day started still in the bask of Wendy Davis' courageous filibuster against the draconian abortion bill in the Texas legislature. Davis stood on her feet for eleven hours, without food or bathroom breaks, and had to stay on point (in congress, members can filibuster by talking about anything--Rand Paul read from Alice in Wonderland during his filibuster against drones, an apt choice). She successfully carried her filibuster past the close of the session, thus the bill did not pass.

Davis restored my faith in Texas politicians, though earlier a new candidate for stupidest emerged: Jodie Laubenberg embarrassed herself and her entire family by suggesting that a rape kit "cleans women out" after a rape, thus making sure a woman doesn't pregnant.

Then came the two Supreme Court opinions everyone was waiting for. Tuesday's ruling on the Voting Rights Act was dispiriting--apparently the five justices who gutted the act think that all is rainbows and lollipops in America today regarding race. I'll bet they don't see racial prejudice in their summer homes in Maine, but it's still out there.

So it was bated breath that the two decisions regarding gay rights came down, and though it wasn't everything we could want--a ruling that bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional--it was pretty damn good all the same. First was the repudiation of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to legal same-sex marriages. This was a pretty big deal, as there were over a thousand benefits affected. Anthony Kennedy, who ten years ago to the day announced the landmark decision Lawrence v. Texas, which ruled anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional, was again the hero of the gay rights movement. His ruling used the word dignity, which may not be in the Constitution, but is welcome nonetheless.

Then the court decided, in a strange configuration, that it would not decide the case brought against Proposition 8, the law passed by California that banned same-sex marriage. When the law was thrown out by the California Supreme Court, the state officials chose not to pursue it, so a band of citizens that have a problem with gay marriage appealed it. John Roberts said no, you have no standing, and the law was vacated.

Even though it was decided not on merits, it still means the country's most populous state now honors gay marriage, which is a good thing. Hopefully somewhere along the line, a couple will sue (maybe in my own state, New Jersey, where troglodyte Chris Christie vetoed same-sex marriage) and the court will rule that gay marriage is a basic right, everywhere.

I've never gotten the objection to same-sex marriage. Well, I understand that the objection is on a purely religious basis. There is no reasonable objection outside of the Biblical, and of course that has no place in our law. I mean, the Bible calls for men who lay with men to be put to death, and we've gotten over that one. Same-sex marriage is going to be accepted, as it doesn't hurt anyone and is really nobody's business. The Christian right may pout and whine and say that we're all going to hell in a hand-basket, but it's not true. In fact, I would think conservatives would favor gay marriage. Gay people are cohabitating and sleeping with each other, wouldn't marriage make things more civilized? Why do straight people have to get married to have sex with each other, but gay people can't?

The dissenters are dishonest, as well. Antonin Scalia railed about how the court undid what Congress created. Well, he had no problem junking the Voting Rights Act, which Congress renewed overwhelmingly just seven years ago. The naked political motives of the man are just embarrassing. I hope Obama gets to replace him. That would be sweet.