It comes as no surprise that the ban on same-sex marriage was deemed unconstitutional, but there is now a slue of speculation as to what will happen next.
Some opponents to same-sex marriage believe the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will be forced to rehear the case with more than three justices in the hope that a larger panel will be the change they need to have the results overturned. Others believe it will be appealed to the Supreme Court, while still others don’t think it will be heard again at all.
Regardless what the next step is, it will take some time before same-sex couples will be able to get legally married in the state of California. My hope is to see equal rights for everyone: gay, straight, black, white or otherwise.
There was a time when interracial marriage was taboo; if conservatives can adjust to that, they can certainly adjust to giving the right of marriage to gays and lesbians. Hell, Newt Gingrich has been married three times, but because they weren’t men, that makes it OK?
Even Rev. Al Sharpton appeared in a video supporting same-sex rights, stating, “As a Baptist minister, I don’t have the right to impose my beliefs on anyone else, so if committed gay and lesbian couples want to marry, that’s their business. None of us should stand in their way.” Well said, Reverend.
Slowly, the tide of opposition toward homosexual marriage is turning. Surprisingly enough, there is also a group called Mormons For Marriage that, while its religion strictly prohibits homosexuals to marry, is fighting for the rights of same-sex couples.
ven multimillion dollar corporation Goldman Sachs has declared its support for the overturn of the voter-approved proposition passed in 2008 — a great publicity move to bring in more gay and lesbian investors. A bank that slams the minority — although not as small a minority as some would like to think — would likely lose clients because of its discriminative views or commentary.
Macy’s has also drawn attention from an anti-gay group called One Million Moms for a print ad recently released on magazine stands. The advertisement features a photograph of a car with a license plate that says “I do” and a wedding cake tied down in the trunk with two grooms atop it.
The subtle ad received attention from Proposition 8 supporters and a petition has been created to have the ad removed – yet another low blow to the gay community from a group of women that has banded together against gay rights. I’ll bet these same women didn’t mind Kim Kardashian’s 72-day-long marriage, right?
In a column from the Huffington Post, University of Michigan law professor Steve Sanders said, “There is no reason to believe four justices on the Supreme Court, which is what it takes to grant (an appeal) petition, are chomping at the bit to take this issue on. The liberals on the court are going to recognize this was a sensible, sound decision that doesn’t get ahead of the national debate … and I don’t think the decision would be so objectionable to the court’s conservatives that they would see a reason to reach out and smack the Ninth Circuit.”
It’s uncertain to tell what the next step is for Proposition 8, but with the backing of so many well-known groups, there is real hope for the equality of gays and lesbians not only in California, but perhaps for the entire country. Although it has been pointed out by Proposition 8 supporters that the Ninth Circuit is best known for having the most decisions overturned, California has been standing behind gay rights for years and has concrete reasoning to use as the legal glue for the Ninth Circuit’s decision.
For example, since 2005, California has given gay and lesbian couples the right to be in domestic partnerships — essentially the same rights and benefits of traditional married couples. Also in California, the court had struck down two laws limiting marriage to only opposite-sex couples five months before Proposition 8 was voted into place.
California, which houses its Supreme Court in gay-friendly San Francisco, has a history of supporting same-sex marriage and gay rights. Although the Ninth Circuit does not only cover California, the court’s decision was just and up-to-date. I truly believe whether a larger Ninth Circuit panel hears the case or the U.S. Supreme Court does, the decision will remain the same.
Ostracizing and singling out a group of people and denying their basic human rights is just wrong. Allowing same-sex couples to marry is not going to “destroy the institution of marriage,” nor is it going to affect traditional marriage in any way. Proposition 8 is clearly unconstitutional and flat-out unfair. People are people and love is love; gay or straight, it shouldn’t matter.
