Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Equal Rights

Its finally happened.
A Federal judge has ruled that California's law prohibiting same sex marriage violates the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the US Constitution.

This will probably be appealed, eventually to the US Supreme Court, but for now there is a Federal precedent against this form of discrimination.

Its about time

4 comments:

RKMeier said...

I've always found the "equal rights" arguement a bit thin. Even before the recent ruling homosexuals and heterosexuals had equal rights--the right to marry a partner of the opposite sex.

Now, putting it as a civil rights issue is completely different.

Uncle Walt said...

The question I have asked conservatives repeatedly and have never gotten an answer is why is it the role of government to tell any adult who they can marry. What is the compelling government interest in telling any of us that we cannot marry the person of our choice.

It just boggles the mind that conservatives don't object to the government intruding into such a completely personal decision.

It is a civil right. How can it not be?

RKMeier said...

We're in agreement: Not the government's business at all.

Uncle Walt said...

Yep,

If a church doesn't want to perform marriage for same sex couples, that is their business.

But there is no justification for the state to deny access to the civil contract called Marriage to any two adults who want to sign it.