SCOTUS, Same-Sex Marriage, and Admitting When I'm Wrong

Since I’m a big proponent of admitting when you’re wrong, I feel that I should say this today:

I was one of the people objecting to bringing same-sex marriage to SCOTUS. I was one of the people saying, “It’s too soon, this court sucks, we have to wait until we have a better court, this will set a bad precedent that we’ll have to live with for years.”

I was wrong.

And I have rarely been more happy to be wrong.

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SCOTUS, Same-Sex Marriage, and Admitting When I'm Wrong
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11 thoughts on “SCOTUS, Same-Sex Marriage, and Admitting When I'm Wrong

  1. 1

    This is a kinda cool day. SCOTUS came to the obvious conclusion that Section 5 of Doma was unconstitutional, and punted Prop 8 into the trash bin where it belongs. Unusually reasonable conclusions, considering the source.

    And last night in my own state a woman filibustered the Texas legislature and prevented them from passing a very repressive (and quite unconstitutional) abortion bill. The Republicans were so frustrated that they tried to change the official record to claim the vote on the bill happened before midnight. They got caught doing it. The bill died.

    And the truth is I was worried about bringing DOMA to SCOTUS now, too. I’m glad I was wrong to worry about it.

  2. 2

    I remember that ten years ago, I was convinced that America was simply way too homophobic for any kind of gay rights to take hold in this country. Even liberals were arguing for civil unions at best. I wasn’t expecting any kind of progress (beyond civil unions) for the next twenty years or so.

    But I guess I was wrong. And not just a little wrong. I was completely wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong in my life. Daymn.

  3. 3

    Yeah. As recently as maybe 2-3 years ago, I was a “civil union” person myself. To separate the religious ceremony from the civil contract.

    It’s quite amazing to see how attitudes have changed in much of the country so quickly.

    But I’ll raise my tiny little nagging voice of concern that this will be the “dog whistle” issue of the 2014 election cycle to bring more right-wing conservatives into statehouses (where they’re already largely in control).

    Don’t see this as a victory won, not even close. It’s one small skirmish in a larger battle that’s only a part of the overall campaign. And that campaign literally won’t be won until people die — meaning the old bigots shuffling off this mortal coil. Or at least get so senile that they can’t vote.

  4. 4

    But I’ll raise my tiny little nagging voice of concern that this will be the “dog whistle” issue of the 2014 election cycle to bring more right-wing conservatives into statehouses (where they’re already largely in control).

    And if anything this will simply drive young people away from religion even faster.

  5. 5

    I also was a “let’s secure rights and work on semantics later” person. I was wrong. Congratulations to all of us for being so usefully wrong.
    Kevin @ 3. It may not be the final battle but I do believe we are fast approaching (if we haven’t reached it already) the definitive tipping point on this issue. For me the most compelling evidence is the grassroots support that marriage equality is beginning to receive (in part due to the demographic changes that you mention). Go ahead and feel good about it, the best is yet to be.

  6. 6

    Sadly, we have also seen with the prior ruling, on voting rights, that this is a SCOTUS who seems very much like the sort who will happily say, “Here friend, let me help you up.”, then a moment later, “Oh, my, where did the dagger in your back come from!?” Well, in this case, they stabbed us in the back **then** offered to help us up, but.. you get my point.

  7. 7

    Unless I am misinformed, the HRC also opposed the tactic. (If I am wrong, please correct me.)

    When it worked though, guess who was the first to get a call from Obama from Air Force One?
    An HRC rep.

    Politics everywhere at every level, I guess.

  8. 8

    Also, I see a lot of cheering today, and I have been screaming for LGBT rights for years. Sparred personally with Brian S. Brown etc.

    Yet I can’t help but notice that this news has all but driven yesterdays VRA ruling from the news.
    Minority voting rights and millions of Americans getting thrown under the bus didn’t manage to hold the news cycle for a full 24 hours.

    Lets not let that happen.

  9. 9

    I was one of the people objecting to bringing same-sex marriage to SCOTUS. I was one of the people saying, “It’s too soon, this court sucks…

    I don’t think anyone could blame you. This court has been pretty hard to predict. And even the logic of who voted which way on these cases is tough to figure out. It very easily could have gone the wrong way. Here’s a pretty good article on why this is a good day but could have been much better.

    “In combination, then, these two rulings are a solid base hit for gay and lesbian rights rather than a home run. The Court did not apply heightened scrutiny to sexual orientation or rule state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. But it did indirectly extend same-sex marriage to a state with nearly 40 million residents and ensure that those in same-sex marriages have gained access to the federal benefits they’re entitled to. In the context of the current Court, this kind of incremental progress is worth celebrating, even if a great deal more work remains to be done for gays and lesbians who in a majority of American states are still having their fundamental rights denied.”

    And with yesterday’s disastrous gutting of the VRA, which will hamper efforts to pass progressive legislation on ANY ISSUE (global warming, abortion, income inequality, etc.) it’s hard not to feel like this week was still a one-step-forward-three-steps-backward as a whole.

  10. 10

    I was wrong too, in the same way, but I realized it wasn’t my place to set the timetable for others’ freedom. I’m glad it worked out the way it did–just spent 90 minutes waving a rainbow flag on a streetcorner in Bakersfield.

    In that hour and a half, one–ONE–negative voice was heard to the demonstration.

    In Bakersfield.

  11. 11

    ¨I was one of the people objecting to bringing same-sex marriage to SCOTUS… And I have rarely been more happy to be wrong.¨

    Straight Seconded. Let freedom ring.

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