Prop 8 Struck Down by CA Supreme Court

[Austin]

If my marriage affects anyone's marriage, I suggest the latter's marriage wasn't all that solid to begin with! [Not saying that Austin's marriage is shaky, just stating how I refute that argument.]

I live in WA. I'm sad to say that it will likely be put the the popular vote in February, on a special referendum. There's already a call to gather signatures to put it on the ballot.

I do not think civil rights should be determined by majority votes. Because the majority would never vote for things like, oh, I don't know, granting the vote for women or desegregation.

And the CA ruling will appealed at SCOTUS. I don't know what it would mean for the rest of the US if SCOTUS rules the ban unconsititional, though.

Agree on all of this. We cannot allow the majority to determine the rights of the minority ever. Isn't that one purpose of the Bill of Rights?

[emmiedahl]

ita also. Weren't the Nazis voted into power? No thank you.

[debrand]

Other states have tackled the issue of same sex marriage. Why did the Mormons spend so much time and money in California? Is it somehow worse if California allows same sex marriage then Vermont?

[emmiedahl]

I think California often sets the pace for social change. So if the LDS church could get Prop h8 passed there, they might be able to impose their will in other situations. Kind of like a test case.

[lilah]

How exciting! Almost 4 years ago I got married and in lieu of givng out a favor, I donated money to charities that I wanted to support, one of which was defeated Prop 8. (I was going to give it to the Human Rights campaign but then I found they were descriminating against trandgedered people). I'm so glad that gay couples can have the same rights to getting married and that their families will have more stability that comes with legal recognition.

Other states have tackled the issue of same sex marriage. Why did the Mormons spend so much time and money in California? Is it somehow worse if California allows same sex marriage then Vermont?

Well California is a big state with a big population but other than that, I don't know. Also Utah is closer to California than Vermont.

Agree on all of this. We cannot allow the majority to determine the rights of the minority ever. Isn't that one purpose of the Bill of Rights?

I definetly think it's a bit of a farce that we should be allowed to vote on people's rights. When DC passed marriage equality, opponents of it wanted to put it to a vote, but the City council argued that it was unethical to have the majority decide the rights of a minority group.

[ThisOlGirl]

Washington State is about to make it legal, causing some really interesting conversations between me and a certain Tea Party friend. People in Central Washington are afraid of any political change, and the Republicans are working hard to make them more so.

Is it too much to hope that my once and future home state of Idaho will follow in Washington's footsteps? Yeah, probably. :cry:

[Austin]

Is it too much to hope that my once and future home state of Idaho will follow in Washington's footsteps? Yeah, probably. :cry:

You never know. Who would have thought Iowa would be a trailblazer on this issue?

[emmiedahl]

Is it too much to hope that my once and future home state of Idaho will follow in Washington's footsteps? Yeah, probably. :cry:

Are you joking? Idaho makes my area look liberal as hell. :lol: It might take a while.

[Hane]

Fun story: When gay marriage passed here in Connecticut, I happened to be in the city clerk's office when two excited guys came in to apply for a marriage license. They already had a civil union, they explained, but wanted the real thing.*. They had been together nearly 25 years. I congratulated them, pointing out that I, with my two divorces, had done more to impugn the institution of marriage than they ever could!

*Fairly recently, Connecticut civil unions got "grandfathered in" as full-fledged marriages.

[emmiedahl]

I remember when NY made it legal, seeing all the elderly couples who had been together for 50 years coming in to make it legal. It made me cry.

Lifelong love, what a horrible thing for society!

[ADoyle90815]

Are you joking? Idaho makes my area look liberal as hell. :lol: It might take a while.

That's true, some of the nuttiest Mormon blogs I've read were by people who live in Idaho, and one has 15 children. I'm not going to post a broken link to that particular blog because she will notice an increase in traffic, and might make her blog private if she notices a higher amount of traffic.

One thing's for sure, I'm happy for this decision, since it now means my gay cousin can finally get married if he wants to.

[ThisOlGirl]

Are you joking? Idaho makes my area look liberal as hell. :lol: It might take a while.

I know. If I didn't feel the need to be very near my family right now, I'd be moving elsewhere in the Northwest--probably Portland or Seattle areas.

[ADoyle90815]

:clap: :banana-rainbow: :banana-rainbow: :gay-rainbow:

[ThisOlGirl]

That's true, some of the nuttiest Mormon blogs I've read were by people who live in Idaho, and one has 15 children. I'm not going to post a broken link to that particular blog because she will notice an increase in traffic, and might make her blog private if she notices a higher amount of traffic.

One thing's for sure, I'm happy for this decision, since it now means my gay cousin can finally get married if he wants to.

Bolded for truth. One word--Latisha (though she's not Mormon).

[galaxygirl]

You never know. Who would have thought Iowa would be a trailblazer on this issue?

I knoooow!! Thank God for the Iowa Supreme Court, because if the people got to vote here, there is no way in hell it would have passed.

[TheJewAmongUs]

The Family Research Council released this statement:

This ruling substitute's judicial tyranny for the will of the people, who in the majority of states have amended their constitutions, as California did, to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

However, we remain confident that in the end, the Supreme Court will reject the absurd argument that the authors of our Constitution created or even implied a 'right' to homosexual 'marriage,' and will instead uphold the right of the people to govern themselves.

The authors of the constitution agreed that you could own another person, and consider them 3/5 of a person to increase your own congressional representation. I dare them to release a statement about that.

The authors of the constitution didn't think women should vote. It wouldn't surprise me if they released a statement about that.

[Austin]

Our "founders' intent" is a stupid argument, IMO (as put forth by the FRC). We live in a much different world today and our founders could not even have imagined it, in nearly every way. We need to apply constitutional principles, and leave intent out of it, because 1) there's no way we could really know their true intent, and 2) even if we did, it probably would be irrelevant in our country today.

[Bookworm]

Forget Kin Kardashian, the meaning of marriage was destroyed when Brittney Spears divorced after 55 hours.

Hey, in oh-so-gay tolerant Muslim countries you can marry a woman for an hour and then annul it after consummation in Las Vegas like chapel places. The women make their living that way. Hmmm... I don't think the gays are at fault on that one, though.

I admit I voted for Prop 8. I was totally fundie at the time and believed it was important, though I also knew it was a last chance effort and that eventually it would be overturned. In one sense, despite being embarrassed at myself when I look back, I'm not actually ashamed of myself for doing what I believed was right at the time. It was a mistake, but an honest one, and in my case without any animosity to gay people.

Now I'm just really relieved to have that mistake reversed. Better stay off FB for a few days, I can only imagine! I can't wait to start seeing more California wedding pics on the news, especially the ones of people together for decades, those are always so sweet.

[Austin]

Hey, in oh-so-gay tolerant Muslim countries you can marry a woman for an hour and then annul it after consummation in Las Vegas like chapel places. The women make their living that way. Hmmm... I don't think the gays are at fault on that one, though.

I admit I voted for Prop 8. I was totally fundie at the time and believed it was important, though I also knew it was a last chance effort and that eventually it would be overturned. In one sense, despite being embarrassed at myself when I look back, I'm not actually ashamed of myself for doing what I believed was right at the time. It was a mistake, but an honest one, and in my case without any animosity to gay people.

Now I'm just really relieved to have that mistake reversed. Better stay off FB for a few days, I can only imagine! I can't wait to start seeing more California wedding pics on the news, especially the ones of people together for decades, those are always so sweet.

I have cast many votes I regret, most notably for GWB.

[Bozoette]

Now, Washington State and Maryland are the next two states where gay marriage will likely become legal. Hopefully the rest of the country will follow.

I'm a Marylander and hoping that the law doesn't stall again as it did last time. I'm really glad that our governor came out in favor of it!

[debrand]

If this goes to the Supreme Court and the court says that California can't ban same sex marriage will other states have to allow it?

Loving vs Virginia ended all bans against interracial marriage in the United States.

[valsa]

I admit I voted for Prop 8. I was totally fundie at the time and believed it was important, though I also knew it was a last chance effort and that eventually it would be overturned. In one sense, despite being embarrassed at myself when I look back, I'm not actually ashamed of myself for doing what I believed was right at the time. It was a mistake, but an honest one, and in my case without any animosity to gay people.

I get previously voting for something you now regret, but you seem to be patting yourself on the back for it. I'm sure the dying gay person who wasn't allowed to have their partner of 30+ years with them as they died is sooooooo proud you voted what you believed was right at the time.

Also, exactly how do you vote to deny an entire group of people a fundamental right like marriage while claiming to not have had any animosity towards them? To steal a line from comedian Aziz Ansary, "let’s be honest, if you’re against gay marriage, you just don’t like gay people and you want to stick it to ‘em"

[Mama Mia]

Yeah ! Good News :clap: :clap:

Unfortunately the No on 8 campaign was really, really, really bad. In most of their first commercials you wouldn't have had any idea what you were even supposed to be voting on.

The Yes on 8 people also did a really good job of targeting their marketing to hit a wide swath of people ( like with MySpace ads )

I don't know if you can blame the whole result on bad vs good marketing and ad strategies and funding ... but it certainly didn't help.

I think the big focus on spending by Mormons on Prop 8 in California was partly because California is huge -- close to 40 million people - so having same sex marriage here would have a big impact.

[3 is enough]

Excellent news!

I must admit that I still have very bitter feelings towards the Mormon Church for their efforts in getting Prop 8 passed. I can understand California Mormons working against it, because they lived in the state, and while I still fail to see how it would affect them, they, as citizens of California, had every right to protest. But when the Church in Utah got involved, and spent all that time, effort, and money to influence a decision that had nothing to do with them, and was none of their business, I was appalled and disgusted.

[valsa]

Excellent news!

I must admit that I still have very bitter feelings towards the Mormon Church for their efforts in getting Prop 8 passed. I can understand California Mormons working against it, because they lived in the state, and while I still fail to see how it would affect them, they, as citizens of California, had every right to protest. But when the Church in Utah got involved, and spent all that time, effort, and money to influence a decision that had nothing to do with them, and was none of their business, I was appalled and disgusted.

I'd like to add being appalled and disgusted that the Mormon church still hasn't lost it's tax-exempt status for the bullshit they pulled with Prop 8.