http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/06/supreme-court-gay-marriage/16546959/
I know there is a gay legal rulings thread but fuck it. :swiss:
QuoteThe Supreme Court refused to get involved in the national debate over same-sex marriage Monday, leaving intact lower court rulings that will legalize the practice in 11 additional states.
The unexpected decision by the justices, announced without further explanation, immediately affects five states in which federal appeals courts had struck down bans against gay marriage: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah.
It also will bring along six other states located in the judicial circuits overseen by those appellate courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. Lower court judges in those states must abide by their appeals court rulings.
The action eventually will bring to 30 the number of states where gays and lesbians can marry. Appeals courts in Cincinnati and San Francisco are considering cases that could expand that number further, presuming the Supreme Court remains outside the legal fray.
"The court's letting stand these victories means that gay couples will soon share in the freedom to marry in 30 states, representing 60% of the American people," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. "But we are one country, with one Constitution, and the court's delay in affirming the freedom to marry nationwide prolongs the patchwork of state-to-state discrimination and the harms and indignity that the denial of marriage still inflicts on too many couples in too many places."
Most court-watchers had predicted the justices would hear one or more cases this term and issue a verdict with nationwide implications by next June. But the justices, perhaps sensing that the country is headed toward legalizing gay marriage without their involvement, chose to deny states' appeals.
What happens now will occur in stages. The five states whose petitions were denied will have same-sex marriages almost immediately. In the other six, at least one more court proceeding will be necessary.
And the number could quickly expand to 35 states if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denies bans in Idaho and Nevada, which could happen any day. That ruling would affect Alaska, Arizona and Montana as well, eventually bringing the number of states with gay marriage to 35.
Cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee are pending before the 6th Circuit appeals court, which has been seen as a panel that could uphold bans in those states. If it goes the same way as the others, the list of states could expand to 39.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage, and the high court ruled last year that the federal government cannot deny benefits to such couples. It sidestepped the remaining state laws by taking no position on the merits of California's ban, which had been struck down by lower federal courts.
Since those decisions were handed down, six additional states have legalized gay marriage, and federal and state judges in at least 14 more states have overturned marriage bans, beginning with Utah last December. All those rulings had been put on hold during the appeals process, leaving 31 bans in place -- until Monday.
"Any time same-sex couples are extended marriage equality is something to celebrate, and today is a joyous day for thousands of couples across America who will immediately feel the impact of today's Supreme Court action," said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization. "But ... the complex and discriminatory patchwork of marriage laws that was prolonged today by the Supreme Court is unsustainable. The only acceptable solution is nationwide marriage equality."
The cases that had been under consideration included those from three federal appeals courts:
• A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled 2-1 in June and July that same-sex couples in Utah and Oklahoma have "the same fundamental right" to marry as heterosexuals.
• A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled 2-1 in July that gay men and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry that is paramount to state marriage laws.
• A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit declared unanimously last month that gay marriage bans in Indiana and Wisconsin threaten "the welfare of American children."
Last month, a federal district judge in Louisiana became the first to uphold a state's ban in the wake of last year's Supreme Court rulings. Until then, gay marriage proponents had won every federal case.
Oh noes, first ISIS and Ebola, now this. Obama is destroying America, et cetera.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 06, 2014, 09:58:44 AM
Oh noes, first ISIS and Ebola, now this. Obama is destroying America, et cetera.
You left off the devastating blow the Crimean annexation did to America. And Benghazi of course, still gnawing at the national psyche. :mad:
Wow. For once, the justices resisted the temptation to legislate from the bench. I'm surprised and slightly impressed. Maybe they figured the public needed some time to forget Scalia's on the bench?
And yes, Sheilbh, soon we can say that the fat lady has sung.
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Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma...so many gay friendly states out there.
Quote from: garbon on October 06, 2014, 05:17:43 PM
And yes, Sheilbh, soon we can say that the fat lady has sung.
:lol: Only reason I'm in the thread :P
She's not just singing. She's doing a victory lap in a chariot belting out Ride of the Valkyries.
So now, in victory magnanimity :)
Quote from: Valmy on October 06, 2014, 05:21:10 PM
Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma...so many gay friendly states out there.
And there you are, stuck in Texas. :P
Quote from: Malthus on October 06, 2014, 05:45:35 PM
Quote from: Valmy on October 06, 2014, 05:21:10 PM
Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma...so many gay friendly states out there.
And there you are, stuck in Texas. :P
We just need to beat out Mississippi.
So gays can now get reamed out in divorce courts like the rest of the proles. That's going to make the lawyers happy. :D
Quote from: Legbiter on October 07, 2014, 07:59:31 AM
So gays can now get reamed out in divorce courts like the rest of the proles. That's going to make the lawyers happy. :D
Except maybe the gay ones. :P
Quote from: Legbiter on October 07, 2014, 07:59:31 AM
So gays can now get reamed out in divorce courts like the rest of the proles. That's going to make the lawyers happy. :D
It's win-win. :)
Quote from: Legbiter on October 07, 2014, 07:59:31 AM
So gays can now get reamed
Legally, yes. Biblically, not so much.
I wish I got a dollar every time I hear someone make a variation of the hack joke "So gays can now be as miserable as the rest of us, ol' ball and chain, amirite?" :rolleyes:
A dollar buy many potato in Poland.
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 07, 2014, 10:26:04 AM
A dollar buy many potato in Poland.
Would you say a plethora of potato?
Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 07, 2014, 11:10:47 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 07, 2014, 10:26:04 AM
A dollar buy many potato in Poland.
Would you say a plethora of potato?
He who purchases a plethora of potato can potentially proclaim himself the pomme de terre plenipotentiary.
Ted Cruz leading the charge to make garbons in Iowa vote against him the primary:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/10/07/morning-plum-republicans-dont-want-debate-on-gay-marriage-ted-cruz-has-other-ideas/
QuoteSenator Cruz has released a statement railing against the Supreme Court's refusal to interfere as lower courts trample on state legislatures' rights to define marriage in a way that excludes gay and lesbian couples. This is only the latest sign that Cruz intends to mount a rearguard action against the cultural change sweeping the nation for as long as he is able, or at least through the 2016 GOP presidential primary. He has very clearly telegraphed this intention. Meanwhile, pro-gay-rights conservatives are organizing within the party to compel a primary debate on gay marriage.
Some Republican operatives recognize the danger Cruz poses. GOP consultant Rick Wilson tells me:
"Putting the paddles on the chest of a divisive issue with absolutely no hope of the outcome he promises is a hallmark of Ted Cruz. When a plurality of Republicans in most polling is past this issue, it will only distract from more salient and compelling messages."
Some GOP presidential hopefuls, such as Ohio Senator Rob Portman, plainly grasp that evolving on this issue is crucial to GOP hopes of evolving along with the country's cultural and demographic shifts in ways that boost the party's chances in national elections. But, as Ed Kilgore details, there will also be a powerful incentive for anti-gay demagoguery and opportunism from those — such as Cruz and Bobby Jindal — who hope to compete for a far right slice of activist social conservatives in key early states such as Iowa. And white evangelical protestants still overwhelmingly oppose gay marriage. So this issue may not fade away as quietly as more culturally and demographically attuned Republicans might like.
LOL at Ted Cruz's "hallmark"
The number of states is now potentially up to 35. Nevada and Idaho bans were struck down today, while Montana, Arizona, and Alaska will follow soon after.
Quote from: Fate on October 07, 2014, 05:07:01 PM
The number of states is now potentially up to 35. Nevada and Idaho bans were struck down today, while Montana, Arizona, and Alaska will follow soon after.
The gay marriage industry in Vancouver was really hoping this day would never come.
Time to rebrand yourselves as a family-friendly ski resort.
http://news.yahoo.com/justice-kennedy-blocks-gay-marriage-ruling-140751203--politics.html
QuoteJustice Kennedy blocks gay marriage ruling (Idaho/Nevada)
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Wednesday temporarily blocked an appeals court ruling that declared gay marriage legal in Idaho and Nevada.
Kennedy's order came a little more than an hour after Idaho filed an emergency request for an immediate stay and about 10 minutes before the state said that state and county officials would otherwise have been required to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The order also applies to Nevada, where marriage licenses to same-sex couples were going to start to be issued later Wednesday.
The delay could last just a few days. Kennedy's order requested a response from the plaintiffs involved in Idaho's gay marriage lawsuit by the end of day Thursday.
The full court almost certainly would weigh in to extend the delay much beyond the weekend. That has been the justices' practice in other cases in which a single justice initially blocked a ruling from taking effect.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco declared gay marriage legal in Idaho and Nevada on Tuesday. A day earlier, the Supreme Court let similar rulings from three other appeals courts become final and effectively raised to 30 the number of states where same-sex couples can marry, or soon will be able to do so.
Having allowed those other rulings to take effect without a full review by the Supreme Court, it would be surprising if the justices were to put the 9th circuit ruling on hold for any length of time.
The high court's action Monday suggested that only an appellate ruling upholding a gay marriage ban would prompt the court to step in.
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/10/oklahoma-governor-mary-fallin-blasts-court-for-gay-marriage-decision/
QuoteOklahoma governor Mary Fallin blasts court for gay marriage decision
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Mary Fallin is criticizing the federal courts for allowing gay marriage in Oklahoma, saying the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a violation of states' rights.
The U.S. Supreme Court without comment on Monday declined to take up an appeal in cases from several states, including Oklahoma, a move that effectively means gay marriage is legal in 30 states.
The decision was hailed by same-sex marriage supporters as a victory for gay rights, but Fallin said it infringes upon the will of Oklahoma voters, who supported a gay marriage ban in 2004 with more than 75 percent of the vote.
Fallin says the people's will has been "overridden by unelected federal justices, accountable to no one."
She says she believes Oklahoma voters have a right to define marriage.
Secession?
North Carolina joins the gay marriage side: http://goqnotes.com/31895/breaking-judge-overturns-anti-lgbt-amendment-in-north-carolina/
Freedom ringing and all that.
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Wow it went fast.
Now it's time to look outside - the success in the US has created a backlash abroad. The fight must move there.
Sweet. Texas may not win the great Homophobic prize after all.
Since Mississippi did not ratify the end of slavery until 2013 I think they should win this one as well.
Quote from: Valmy on October 18, 2014, 02:06:27 PM
Sweet. Texas may not win the great Homophobic prize after all.
Since Mississippi did not ratify the end of slavery until 2013 I think they should win this one as well.
Not quite the same when the decision to allow gay marriage is not in the hands of the voters or their elected representatives. I mean, Utah was one of the earliest...
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 18, 2014, 02:23:35 PM
Not quite the same when the decision to allow gay marriage is not in the hands of the voters or their elected representatives. I mean, Utah was one of the earliest...
Yeah ok when Texas ratified the 13th in 1870 lets just say the elected representatives were not very representative of the population.
But you are probably just getting nervous that Georgia is still gray.
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Yeah grabon you can have your destination wedding in West Virginia now. Congrats :D
At garbon's last graphic indicates, the Sixth Circuit - which covers Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky - upheld state bans on same-sex marriages. So for the first time, there is a legal split on these issue at the appeals court level just below the Supreme Court. Petitions for review have already been filed and so we might see the Supreme Court act after all.
Quote from: derspiess on November 24, 2014, 11:14:22 AM
Yeah grabon you can have your destination wedding in West Virginia now. Congrats :D
My mother wanted to take a trip to WV (one of the few states she hasn't been to). I declined the offer. -_-
Quote from: garbon on November 24, 2014, 11:34:31 AM
Quote from: derspiess on November 24, 2014, 11:14:22 AM
Yeah grabon you can have your destination wedding in West Virginia now. Congrats :D
My mother wanted to take a trip to WV (one of the few states she hasn't been to). I declined the offer. -_-
There are some nice places to visit-- that don't really feel like they're part of WV.
Quote from: garbon on November 24, 2014, 11:34:31 AM
My mother wanted to take a trip to WV (one of the few states she hasn't been to). I declined the offer. -_-
It's wild and wonderful. :cool:
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/11/25/judge-overturns-mississippi-same-sex-marriage-ban/70122842/
This, boys, is the only state that I want to get married in.
QuoteJudge overturns Mississippi same-sex marriage ban
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves on Tuesday handed same-sex couples a partial victory in their quest to overturn Mississippi's gay marriage ban.
Reeves granted a preliminary injunction blocking the state's ban against same-sex unions as sought by the Campaign for Southern Equality and two lesbian couples who had sued in the state in federal court. But the judge also postponed the injunction from going into effect for 14 days in a legal maneuver called a "stay."
This means same-sex couples cannot yet obtain marriages licenses in Mississippi.
In his 72-page order, Reeves said "Mississippi continues to change in ways its people could not anticipate even 10 years ago. Allowing same-sex couples to marry, however, presents no harm to anyone. At the very least, it has the potential to support families and provide stability for children."
The stay gives Mississippi time to appeal Reeves' ruling at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Although it hasn't announced its next step, the state is widely expected to ask the higher court to immediately block Reeve's injunction, which would prevent gay couples from obtaining marriage licenses.
That could happen in a matter of days and would remain in effect until the 5th Circuit rules on two other pending gay marriage cases – that of Louisiana and Texas – set for oral arguments the week of Jan. 5.
Whatever the 5th Circuit decides in these cases also will apply to Mississippi.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court could agree to a hear one of several other gay marriage cases elsewhere country, with its decision ultimately superseding those made in the federal or circuit courts.
"We're thrilled that Judge Reeves understood and appreciated and took such great care and time to explain why gay people have the same rights under the constitution as everyone else," said Robert Kaplan, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
Kaplan is a New York-based attorney best known for her work as litigating United States v. Windsor, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act.
"I think this opinion is going to stand as truly as a landmark opinion in this area," she said.
The Clarion-Ledger was not immediately able to reach Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who was named in the lawsuit and whose agency is representing the state in court.
Kaplan said she's ready to continue the right if the state appeals.
"We will win this one in the 5th Circuit, too," she said.
The Campaign for Southern Equality filed the lawsuit on Oct. 20 on behalf of Mississippi same-sex couples: Rebecca Bickett and Andrea Sanders, who are challenging the state's outright ban on gay marriage; and Carla Webb and Jocelyn Pritchett, who are seeking state recognition for their existing legal marriage performed in Maine.
Defendants in the suit are Gov. Phil Bryant, state Attorney General Jim Hood and Hinds County Circuit Clerk Barbara Dunn.
Both sides had argued before Reeves during a roughly five-hour hearing earlier this month in the federal courthouse in Jackson. Plaintiffs called Mississippi's ban on gay marriage baseless and discriminatory.
The state's lead attorney, Justin Matheny, defended Mississippi's ban as necessary to promote what he called "responsible procreation" among married couples who are able to bear children.
Legal experts nationwide reacted to the news just minutes after the announcement.
Evan Wolfson, president of pro-LGBT organization Freedom to Marry praised Reeve's decision.
"Couples building a life together in Mississippi deserve the same freedom to marry as any other Americans, and today yet another court has affirmed Mississippians' freedom to marry and their equality under the Constitution," Wolfson said in a press release. "It is time for the United States Supreme Court to take up a case and end marriage discrimination once and for all."
Biloxi is lovely in the springtime.
They were one of the gray states to. Huh.