In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage.
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.
Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito dissented. Scalia is getting ready to explode: he called the decision a “judicial putsch”. Roberts thinks “the Court removes it from the realm of democratic decision”, because apparently we’re supposed to vote on who gets civil rights.
Now get ready for the fireworks. I’m not turning on Fox News, that’s for sure.
Between this and yesterdays aca ruling, it warms my heart to see progressive values march forward in the us.
Not turning on Fox News? If I had cable, I’d revel in the sweet conservative tears for a bit. But I’m kinda immature.
Happy Pride, American neighbours! I’m very happy for you.
Hmm, the sky still seems to be up there, and I don’t feel any less married.
So does that mean all the warnings of doom were wrong?
Also, about time.
Yes Scalia, you don’t get to vote on basic civil rights that are in the constitution, they are for everybody. And you are supposed to be a constitutional scholar, not an ideologue of bigotry and bigoted values from a book of mythology/fiction.
I wish I had not only a vessel big enough to capture their tears, but also a vinyard because it’s clearly going to result in a fabulous whine.
I’m not going to lie, the delicious sound of bigots crying does add to the joy of this wonderful news.
To all the LGBTQA people in the states, congratulations :)
No PZ, this is the time to turn to Fox News. I only watch Fox News to watch them fuming at events such as these. I loved the Rove meltdowns during the 2008 and 2012 elections.. They were hilarious. There is nothing more delicious than Wingnut tears.
This is a great day! Very proud of the lawyers and plaintiffs who made this decision possible. Love wins once again.
Ps scalias notes are angry granpa rants about minorities golden
Made my day.
Yes! A win for love.
Scalia suggests that you ‘ask the nearest hippie’ about the freedom of intimacy in his dissent. This timeless piece of rhetoric is now enshrined in the record of the SCOTUS.
Lovely, absolutely awesome. Congratulations to the USA and the so positively affected citizens in particular! Day by day, I’m more ashamed of my own governments recalcitrance on this issue. But with a place as big and influential as the USA and the recent case in Ireland, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. Pressure is building throughout the Western world. :-)
So many yays!
And a sniffle. My daughter just said good morning, and I realize that she and her friends will be able to marry as they wish. Wow.
It’s going to be quite a Pride weekend here in San Francisco. Just heard from one friend who says his boy friend can’t stop crying. That boy friend is 70+, I can only just imagine the mix of emotions he’s experiencing.
It’s weird. Sometimes democracy is “mob rule” and “tyranny of the majority”, and at other times it’s the “will of the people.”
Tremendous.
And while there is much gnashing of teeth on the Right today, in five years (or less) gay marriage will just be seen as a part of American society, and only the most fringe elements will complain about it.
I really needed to hear this. I *really* needed to hear this.
I’m so happy right now, not just for myself, but for the countless millions of people in the US who have wanted to marry the person they love, but were prevented from doing so because of their sexuality. The joy they must feel right now. I can only imagine.
It’s…
It’s almost overwhelming!
Wow, that’s incredible. Some actually good news for once, about politics even — although the fake news on Fox, etc., will still be bad of course — but it’s hard to step back and see how quickly things have changed.
*happydance**confetti**happyhappy*
**sets off those indoor poppers with the streamers in ’em**
Let the religious right be bawl babies. It’s a great day to celebrate equality for everyone whether you’re gay or straight!
Imagine what we could do with two or three more Democrat-nominated appointees… So, remember: Doesn’t matter how much you distrust Hillary. Vote Democratic!
Did Scalia seriously use the “majority rules”/”legislate from the bench” argument???
Welcome to the 21st century, USA. Fantastic news overall.
And with this, Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito have secured their places in the history books as bigoted idiots who will be laughed at by future generations.
Congratulations, America, this has been incredibly heartening to see. My best wishes to everyone who can now formalise their love, this is great news indeed.
Enjoy, Tony! :D I remember when we got marriage equality in Spain and how amazingly good it felt. Feeling overwhelmed with joy is the shit!
Celebrate today, spend the weekend weekend with your newly nationwide-legal husband (or wife), and on Monday, roll up your sleeves and get to work. The right may be bawling today, but they are organized, especially when it comes to self-interest. This ruling gives them a convenient demon to rail against; they are going to see a fund-raising tsunami in the months to com, and high voter turnout next election from an incredibly fired up evangelical base.
If we are apathetic, or content, we lose. It is up to all of us to work just as hard to make sure today’s victory does not result in electoral rollbacks in 2016.
Between this and the ACA decision, all I can say is, “Welcome to rest of the civilized world. Glad you finally made it.”
I’m was just watching President Obama give his speech on this decision. It is quite eloquent and, I believe, sincere. I’m really happy for you, my American neighbours. Keep it up.
I have been weeping with joy this morning, now that all my friends can enjoy the same right to marriage that I have taken for granted since I (a cis woman) was married in 1982.
Just last week here in CT, Mr. Q and I celebrated with our friends Timothy and Robert as they celebrated their marriage after 23 years of devoted partnership. And yes, their same-sex marriage absolutely affects my straight marriage. As we listened to T and R exchange their vows, we held hands and renewed our vows silently, too. And by extending the right to marry to all consenting adults, SCOTUS has validated the worth of my marriage, and made me feel a little less privileged (and that’s a good thing).
Congratulations, and much gratitude to every person who spoke out, marched, voted for reasonable people, etc.
Just found out about this from the Guardian and came rushing over. Looks like PZ beat me to it.
Anyway, huzzah! The US joined the 21st century, and I’m sure there are many happy couples out there :) congratulations.
darreno2112 — According to the Washington Post, Roberts wrote in his dissent “But for those who believe in a government of laws, not of men, the majority’s approach is deeply disheartening.” Scalia echoed a similar sentiment in his separate dissent referring to a “constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine.”
Interestingly, the opinion that SCOTUS was making laws was widely trumpeted in the South during the 50s and 60s over school prayer, desegregation, and appropriately enough, miscegenation. I expect it to be the same with this decision. Bigotry can be so predictable.
It was the end of the World!!!
And now we have something a bit better!
closeted @27:
You’re speaking the truth. We may be able to marry in 50 states, but we can be fired for our sexuality or gender identity in 29 of them.
Yay, I pass my naturalization interview yesterday and this happens. You’re welcome.
A more devout Supreme Court would have upheld *Biblical* marriage! You know: Adam and Eve! Jacob and Leah and Rachel! Abraham and Sarah and (sort of) Hagar! King David and Michal and Bathsheba and Avital and Haggith and Maacah and Ahinoam and Abigail and Eglah (but not really Abishag)! King Solomon and one thousand wives and concubines!
(No doubt some crazy-ass right-wing evangelist will soon declare with dismay that the Court includes no Christians, since the Catholics don’t count and the Jews … well, that’s obvious, right?)
Scalia just continues to get worse and worse. His comments about asking “the nearest hippy” had me rolling my eyes so hard.
Many former hippies (and hippies still) are alive and well. Scalia should host a convention of hippies. He’s welcome to ask all of them what they think.
@22 davidnangle:
Oh please. My plans are to vote for Bernie Sanders — in the primaries, because that’s as far ahead politically [next opportunity to vote] I will ever have firm plans.
From CJ Roberts’ dissent:
And a State’s decision to maintain the meaning of marriage that has persisted in every culture throughout human history can hardly be called irrational.
Is the CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE USA really that ignorant of world history? And did he really write such ignorance into such a solemn public record as a Supreme Court ruling?
This one sentence shows how stupid the anti-gay bigots really are.
Just wait. Mississippi will pass state laws limiting same-sex marriage ceremonies to one specific location, and requiring an ultrasound and three-day waiting period before issuing a license.
@Raging Bee:
My favorite was Alito’s, I think… Whoever it was that wrote that, while the “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” clause can refer to long-standing traditional institutions (“Like marriage,” my thought was), it doesn’t apply to this new-fangled “same-sex marriage” thing.
Because, ya know, “same-sex marriage” is something completely different and not at all related to “marriage.” There’s a whole two word prefix there! These jokers have somehow convinced themselves that the lgbt community is trying to set up a wholly new institution, rather than joining in an existing one with that whole “marriage is defined as a man and a woman.” And then they complain that the court is making decrees based on opinion and not law.
Imagine how much fun historical lawyers could have had with that logic. “Voting” is traditioanl, but “woman-voting?” Let’s not be too hasty here!
setting a timer to measure the duration till 700 clubmeister Roberson announces the latest tornado as God’s wrath against the gay agenda forcing the SCoTUS to allow this awful decision.
1… 2… 3…
(what’s the weather in Oklahoma today??? it’s tornado season, right??)
Tony! *happy hugs*
My family is in one of the states where a ban was just lifted . . .
. . . and my daughter just came in with “the best news ever”. She said, “Now I can be gay.” Hugs and sniffles.
Meh. I’m not saying it’s not a nice step forwards, but when people like Jennicet Gutiérrez can get booed offstage by the people supposedly representing her for calling attention to attention very real injustices perpetrated on lgbt people in literally the same week as this happening, I’m not going to get overly excited. Being able to marry is nice and all, but as long as basic human rights can still be denied on the grounds of being lgbt, you have a loooooong way to go.
President Obama calls marriage lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell “we’re really proud of you”.
So, in two of the dissents I’ve read so far, both Roberts and Scalia seem to complain that the Supreme Court can override laws.
If they were serious about that, then why have they never raised that concern on decisions they’re the majority opinion on?
Surely, if ‘judicial activism’ was such a problem in their minds, they’d be aware of their own complicity in it?
Because, ya know, “same-sex marriage” is something completely different and not at all related to “marriage.”
There was a good bit of that in Roberts’ dissent too: he kept on admitting that previous rulings had invalidated bans on certain classes of people marrying, but kept on saying “none of that changed the core definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.” He’s trying to draw a distinction between marriage restrictions and marriage restrictions that “change the core definition of marriage.”
Roberts:
Jesus! He cites Town of Greece? So it should be legal for states to break up a family at the state line for the same reason that legislative bodies should be allowed to open every session with a reminder that it is (the Christian) God, and not human beings, who are the final arbiters of law and liberty? Bad law supporting bad law.
Apparently, Mr. Roberts, just who you think you are is an ignorant bigot appointed by God to preserve the tyranny of the majority and your own fantasies of history. Ever hear of the tradition of the berdache? Yes, the Aztecs honored that “third sex” institution.
My apologies for ever imagining that you might actually value human lives (and the clear meaning of the 14th amendment) over your Bible-bound prejudices.
Good grief, Scalia is really at an “old man yells at cloud” level of ridiculousness at this point. How has he ever been taken seriously?
I thought this bit from the live blog at SCOTUSBLOG was delicious:
My brother and I had a happy weepy conversation this morning; now his marriage is recognized in all 50 states. As Tony pointed out above, there’s still plenty of work to do, but today is a good day and I’m going to enjoy it.
There’s a Pride Parade in St. Pete (FL) this weekend. I bet it’s going to be bigger and happier than ever.
http://www.stpetepride.com/2015LGBTPrideParade
A quote from the dissent, posted at Butterflies and Wheels:
These mighty words bestowed upon us and history by Deep and Profound Legal Scholarly Thought ™.
Reading the dissents is a fascinating glimpse into their heads. Thomas is just incoherent (paraphrase: Inability to marry doesn’t remove the inherent dignity of gay people, just as being slaves or put in internment camps didn’t remove the inherent dignity of blacks or Japanese people. So…not being allowed to marry is equivalent to being a slave or interned, and he thinks that’s a reason against marriage equality?)
Roberts at least has a logic trail. Too bad he’s starting with a zillion false premises. His is a GIGO opinion.
Scalia’s is grade-A “old man ranting at clouds” nonsense. Also, after reading his thoughts on marriage in general, I feel very, very, very sorry for his wife. He makes it sound as if they’re miserable.
Thomas has the most redic quote about how dlavery didnt take away dignity
lucy1965 @ 51 — I was expecting Scalia to go apoplectic. And I indeed would expect him to hide his head in a bag if he were ever to join an opinion that held that Constitutional liberty might include a right to define and express a human identity. He’s long made it clear that, for him, human liberty is strictly defined by his own personal interpretation of God’s will. Human thought and aspiration has always been as meaningless to him as a fortune cookie.
June 26th: “Now we just call it marriage” Day. Great holiday, right in Pride season. Perfect.
Parse @46:
I wonder how they feel about SCOTUS overturning anti-miscegenation laws…
Did Scalia actually use the words “Ask the nearest hippie” in a legal document? Oh my giddy aunt . . . .
Sooo, of course there are people whining!
AG Hood: “SCOTUS gay marriage decision not immediately effective in Mississippi.
I’m also wondering how Judge Roy Moore of AL is taking this. On a scale of 1-10 Scalia’s, he’s probably at least a 10.
“And with this, Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito have secured their places in the history books as bigoted idiots who will be laughed at by future generations.”
Scalia had already cinched that title with his previous claims that demons exist and civilization is only about 5,000 years old, so this is just more icing on that cake.
Nicely written, but it is the ruling’s summary that has me most excited:
Wow. Affordable health care AND marriage equality. I almost have hope for this country. Oh, wait, we still have to deal with gender equality, race equality, AGW, corporate corruption, ……
Be thankful for baby steps, I guess.
Disgusting ruling for a disgusting part of society.
Jesus is returning soon and he will smite you sodomites.
Cleanup on aisle 64!
Lost in the shuffle is another decision announced yesterday allowing the use of the disparate impact in the Fair Housing Act. Another 5-4 decision, and I won’t bother listing the dissenters.
All in all, this has been a very good week for this Supreme Court. But that doesn’t undo the damage caused by Citizens United, Hobby Lobby, and Shelby County (and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few).
Hoping that comment #64, (Disgusting ruling for a disgusting part of society.
Jesus is returning soon and he will smite you sodomites.), is sarcasm.
Jane Campbell @64: He’s overdue from the last seven thousand times someone claimed that. Apparently god can do anything, but Jesus needs a better alarm clock?
RickR @65
:D
@Jane Campbell #64 – Jesus is coming soon? He’s not even breathing hard! Not to mention, he’s been “coming soon” for almost 2000 years. Seriously, it is time to admit that y’all have been stood up.
Amazing end to a fantastic week at SCOTUS!
The onion celebrates as only the onion can:
http://www.theonion.com/article/report-only-47000-social-justice-milestones-go-us–50767
At feministbatwoman:
Twitter: “Finding my wife and moving to Canada”
Twitter: “Gay marriage is now legalized in the entire US. Moving to Canada.”
Twitter: “Well, this country is going to hell after that. Moving to Canada”
tumblr: who’s gonna tell them
My apologies if it has already been posted but THHHHHIIIISSSSSSSS: http://gawker.com/scalia-is-a-twitter-egg-1714198342
Jane@64: God’s going to smite us for ignoring the poor and hungry? You do know that was the sin of Sodom, yes?
Oh. You meant the butt sex. Which a fair number of het people enjoy, so I would have thought the smiting should have happened sooner than this. But as your deity is fictional, just like all the rest of them, I wouldn’t let it trouble your day.
@Pteryxx #72 – Do you think Canada wants them?
I just cheered on another forum that if the US keeps this up, it’ll start being as nice as Canada within a few years.
(subtext: partly because Canada’s present leadership has stalled all progress out of principle)
All those conservatives planning to move to Canada to avoid marriage equality are in for a surprise. Canada not only has marriage equality, they will even give your lesbian or gay spouse free healthcare.
Conservatives may be stuck with reviving the movement to secede in Texas. Then they could all move to Texas.
Hotline to call in Mississippi if you are a same-sex couple that is denied a marriage license: 601.354.3408
Hotline to call in Alabama if you are a same-sex couple that is denied a marriage license: 205.708.0688
Speaking of Texas:
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2015/06/a-historic-day-in-dallas-throughout-state-as-supreme-court-oks-same-sex-marriage.html/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/26/1396832/-Simple-and-elegant-Gay-Men-s-Chorus-sings-The-Star-Spangled-Banner-at-the-foot-of-the-Supreme-Court
The link says it all.
Speaking of Texas, the Governor has joined the Texas Attorney General is saying stupid stuff:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/greg-abbott-directive-religious-liberties
Congratulations!!!
Does this mean every states in the US is now obliged to accept same-sex marriage now?
Lynna@77: I’ve got relatives in Dallas, I need time to get them out first.
It looks like most states have acquiesced to the ruling, except possibly Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, and Mississippi. It was fun to watch Fox News this morning. The 24 hour news networks have different headlines on their homepages:
CNN: “More perfect unions”
MSNBC: “Marriage equality victory”
Fox News: “Roberts slams ruling”
I think 1 of those networks is just slightly bitter about the decision.
Here’s hoping this decision can be used as precedent for getting rid of other types of discrimination!
It is clear that God will punish us for this by sending tornados to Oklahoma and Kansas and hurricanes to Florida and the Southern coastal shores.
I wish everyone all the best in ruining “straight marriages”.
@82 – Notice how I’m incoherent with happiness?
Congrats to all my fellow USAians who can finally marry the person they love and have their marriage recognized throughout the country. I’m just sorry it took so long.
@Pen, #82:
yes. At this very moment Arkansas and Wyoming are being gay-married by a federal judge. Surprised everyone, really. Most observers thought Wyoming and Alaska were a match made in Houston!
@Pteryxx 72
Thank you for making my day! Made me cackle like a hyena!
Man, are these people in for a major disappointment…
Overall, though, what a great story; I am, however, a bit concerned that we’ll now be seeing quite a decrease in “marriage tourism” up here, from now on.
Was that thunder? Nope. Just the sound of millions of conservatives’ heads exploding.
The talking heads shows should be pretty entertaining tonight.
The comments over on foxnews.com are priceless.
Go Americans! =D
So happy. This gives me some hope.
Besides, the US has a huge cultural influence on the rest of the world, this will definitely help equality causes all over the world.
F.O.@93: Keep in mind that the rest of the world included quite a few countries that were ahead of the US. That said, today, the US suddenly became the biggest country with marriage equality.
Hooray for equal rights. I don’t know if being born during the sixties qualifies me as a hippie, but I think love really is the best thing that people do. Pride is going to be especially festive here in Minneapolis, and the hippie city will be lighting up the bridge with some rainbows.
That’s good. But the next story made me laugh aloud. Maybe I’m petty that way. Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Alito Suddenly Realize They Will Be Villains In Oscar-Winning Movie One Day.
Sorry, but I just can’t get enough of this Scalia “hippie” quote:
Thank goodness Scalia has a job where he can prudently express such opinions, since he apparently thinks a happy marriage constricts such freedom. Or perhaps he’s just trying to scare any hippie-leaning Americans away from abridging this sacred Freedom of Intimacy. (Though with such a cynical view of marriage, it starts to make sense why he’s so opposed to expanding the institution to more people.)
I’m not sure if he’s just trying to one-up or outwit The Onion, but his opinions are just…well, I wonder how far you would get if you tried to write him as a fictional character before it became too outrageous.
Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last!
9 black people just died at the hands of a racist. I don’t think we’re at the point where we can sing that yet. Some were even buried this day. It just feels off to use that bit of the quote. The freedom bells are only just starting to ring, with the sound of funeral bells marking their frailty. We have so much further to go before I can let those words cross my lips joyfully.
Throwaway: As someone whose own family (well, half at least) spent much of the country’s history being given the legal recognition of livestock and who personally grew up in the part of the country where old habits died the hardest, I am certainly aware that there is a long way to go. The quote was not meant as anything relating to race issues, merely one to express joy that another minority is being given recognition as human beings.
I’m at a large kink event at a camp, about 1300 people with a huge LGBT crowd, the cheer that went up when it was announced could be heard everywhere. We celebrated with a role play of the notorious RBG pegging Scalia. Heh.
More Onion:
I’m starting my 72 hours as soon as the kids go to bed.
On the QT haters:
You can get whiplash by snapping so quickly between “It’s so outrageously beyond plausible the sheer incomprehensibility of it makes it funny” and “It’s funny because it’s true.”
The Redhead and I will now toast her gay cousin and his husband, who married years ago in Canada, and are now recognized as married in all of the US of A. In that time, NOBODY HAS DEMONSTRATED WITH EVIDENCE HOW THE REDHEAD’S AND MY MARRIAGE HAS BEEN DAMAGED. We don’t feel at all that it has been damaged. Congratulations to all who can now marry and have it recognized. SALUTE!
Scalia displays a stereotype. Thinking hippies are only interested in group sex or “open” relationships, and feel tied down by getting asked to commit to a single partner in marriage’s contractual obligation. And that “thinking” of his is a little inconsistent. He thinks protecting Freedom is best achieved by restricting it? I’m sorry. I find that incomprehensible.
oh, maybe, he’s saying “intimacy” is NOT a Freedom. ugh, still incomprehensible to this nonSCOTUS member, just a puny plebe.
Now that the Gay Agenda has been shoved down America’s throat, feel free to shovel some down your own:
http://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/marriage-equality/i-dough-i-dough
I don’t see why anyone would celebrate a bunch of activist judges deciding to make it illegal to be not-gay… no wonder all the right wingers are running around like their hair’s on fire! Oh, what’s that? That’s not even close to what happened? Well, that sure makes their reaction a whole lot more entertaining.
p.s. As predicted, Mississippi is desperately trying to find something, anything, that will stop this from happening. Man, what is it with these people and their Lost Causes?
Well, my heterosexual marriage is a little better already. We are both so happy for our daughter, her friends and her country’s future. She doesn’t have a partner, or even a girlfriend, but she is thrilled. And so is her family. So this is a good moment in our marriage.
Lot’s of marriage-equality gold on imgur today. Here’s a couple:
http://i.imgur.com/CjkfoHv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XSOa75K.jpg
and this last one is great. NBC was showing this. The White House is lit like a rainbow tonight
howardhershey wrote:
Ya know, if He really wanted to show everyone, He’d send hurricanes directly to Oklahoma and Kansas, and a mid-summer blizzard over the whole of Florida and Texas. It’s always kind of lame how he sends the exact same weather these places already get when we aren’t actively pissing Him off. Why not shake it up a bit, Oh Omnipotent One?
Congratulations USA. Australia, it’s our turn next!
Pen @82:
They are, but some are not going down without a fight.
Case in point-Mississippi.
The governor may call for the state to stop issuing marriage licenses altogether. Like that won’t piss a lot of people off (and not just LGBT people).
****
Glenn Graham @111:
Just what I posted on Facebook!
****
treeofdundee @98:
I imagine you meant well with this, but it’s far from the truth. Marriage equality is the law of the land, yes; and that’s cause for celebration. But there are still many battles to be fought:
• LGBT people are still able to be terminated from their jobs or denied housing in 29 states, which is why the passage of ENDA is vital
• 40% of homeless youth are LGBT kids
• trans people who are imprisoned continue to face high levels of sexual assault, extended stays in solitary, and improper (or a complete lack of) medical care
• the suicide rate of trans people is staggering
Those are but some of the many problems facing the LGBT community.
Even if we were to eliminate those problems tomorrow, there would still be everyday microaggressions that plague LGBT people.
And all of those are just issues that affect LGBT people. We still have a racial crisis going on in the United States, where People of Color face tremendous levels of oppression at all levels of society.
The War on Women continues apace, as women across the country continue to see their reproductive rights under attack.
Millions of people have access to healthcare thanks to the Affordable Care Act, but millions more do not.
And those are just the social issues, and not all of them at that.
MLK, Jr’s quote is wonderful and something to genuinely hope for, but it remains naught but a dream and there it shall be, sadly, for some time to come.
SC needs this wrath of god, too. Right now.
Pretty please, with chocolates on top?
roachiesmom @113:
I think we’ll need to petition a different god. One that’s a bit nicer, not so fickle, or full of wrath. Zeus maybe? Or Thor?
The lobbies in Splatoon are filled with Miiverse posts celebrating the decision, with images of Inklings in same-sex couples and the hashtag #lovewins. There was also a party pooper who said people shouldn’t be posting those messages because kids play the game, but he was a lone dissenter.
@Pen #82 – The summary of the ruling states: “The Fourteenth Amendment requires a State to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-State.” So yes: every state must grant marriage to same-sex couples, and every state must recognize legal marriages. Kennedy was very careful to leave no wiggle room at all.
Gregory in Seattle @116:
Sadly, that hasn’t stopped Texas, Mississippi, or Louisiana from doing their best to not follow SCOTUS’ ruling:
I’m not familiar at all with the US legal system, so this may be a stupid question but is there any chance of this going on appeal? Is that why the Clerks of the Court are ordered to wait?
Gen @118
The losing side on a SCOTUS decision has 25 days after the decision is announced to appeal the decision. Essentially if they can get one or more justices to change their vote so the losing side has a majority (in a 5-4 decision, this means just getting one justice to switch) then the decision is voided. I don’t know if it’s ever happened but the SCOTUS rules do allow it.
Lynna @37
“Former hippies”?
*chuckle* No. Once you go hippie, you never go back.
Aaaaaand, all of the sudden Australia is considering marriage equality: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-27/us-supreme-court-ruling-same-sex-marriage-australia-debate-mps/6578058
Everyone here is freaking out over the US ruling.
@numerobis #94: per above. The US is definitely not a trailblazer, but its cultural influence is much harder to ignore than, say, Argentina (and speaking as a tango teacher… duh!)
So in a Supreme Court, four out of nine vote against the constitution?
WMDKitty @120, “Once you go hippie, you never go back.” Well, okay then. I concede that argument. Scalia is welcome to show up on my doorstep with all of his questions.
God may reign, but He (or She) doesn’t legislate. The gritty business of passing laws is left to the people’s representatives, who answer, in the first instance, to their constituents, and defer, at least in theory, to the Constitution. The record of politicians who claim, in anything more than a general way, to be doing God’s will is dubious. Too often, assertions of divine guidance spoken in state capitols (as well as in the Capitol) have turned out to be little more than bigotry dressed in clerical garb. This is why, at least in theory, we have a Supreme Court. In their best moments, the Justices apply the careful scrutiny demanded by the Fourteenth Amendment—for equal protection of the laws—against any government official’s clairvoyance about God’s intent. That is what happened in 1967, when the Supreme Court finally heard Loving v. Virginia and ruled that all anti-miscegenation statutes must fall.
Tony @114, “I think we’ll need to petition a different god. One that’s a bit nicer, not so fickle, or full of wrath. Zeus maybe? Or Thor?”
I’ve always been partial to Thor. It’s the big hammer that I find appealing. Still bothered by the short handle on that hammer, but no god is perfect, nor are His instruments. An article in The New Yorker backs you up on the God thing.
http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/god-and-marriage-equality
Whoops. I messed up both cut-and-paste, and blockquoting HTML in my previous comment.
We hippies have addled brains.
I had a really bad day yesterday and am just now getting caught up on things, so I’m a bit late with this, but…
“I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise.”
interesting you mention that, Tony.
that decision (Loving vs Virginia) was unanimous, and there were entire books written about WHY the chief justice felt it needed to be unanimous.
this current court is SOOOOO far away from the courts that ruled on civil rights issues in the 50s and 60s… it is hard to imagine they even have the same name.
never before can I recall a supreme court where a chief justice actually espoused TREASON in response to a majority decision, or outright lied when he said there was no legal precedent for this decision, when there are in fact 30 pages of the decision that detail the legal precedents!
it’s indeed very scary how little respect the rule of law now garners in ALL US institutions, and seeing it in SCOTUS is especially troubling.
I see Cruz is calling for having SCOTUS abolished and replaced with a popular vote court instead.
Frankly, while I see progress in the recent decisions, I also see violent backlash AGAINST that progress, and it speaks with a very loud voice, lots of money, and considerable power.
scary, scary shit. don’t lose sight of the problems represented by what the minority is saying in this decision, just because the decision went our way.
these are scary, delusional people, and evidently more than willing to abandon any secular principle in favor of personal bias.
If I had a hammer…
btw; Thor has a hammer, Jesus has nails… sounds like a marriage made in heaven.
Predictably enough, a Texan County Clerk has publicly stated that she will refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses on the grounds of “religious liberty”. The Texan Attorney General and the Liberty Institute have pledged legal help for her if she is challenged, and for anyone else who wishes to make a similar move.
The wingnuts have gone from tears to spiteful lashing-out. Gay Texans must be feeling really well supported right now.
So “Religious Liberty” is the most conveeeeniant excuse to refuse to do a task of one’s job, one does not like. “I won’t cuz uhhh… !religion! So you cant fire me for it!!!!”
I’m also appalled at how they rephrase their objection at the task and not the customer. They don’t like the customer’s life choices so they refuse to sell to them with the excuse “I don’t want to make a gay cake”. Not even because they don’t like the person themself, they just disagree with the choice of whom they wants to share their bed with.
I’m of the opinion that if you choose to work as a public servant, you don’t really get to choose which members of the public you serve.
Still, ThinkProgress did an analysis of the potential objection. It seems that the Texan Attorney General thinks that the RFRA would give him legal standing to uphold the clerk’s position. However, due to the specific wording of the Texan RFRA, this apparently won’t work.
In my personal opinion, I think they’ll also butt up against the 1st amendment. Surely allowing a government employee to refuse service on the grounds of religion would be seen as the government endorsing a particular religion?