Big Prop 8 news today: the Supreme Court has set November 20 for deciding whether or not they’ll take the case.
In the meantime, the election’s still looming: Obama’s endorsed the freedom to marry in all four states that have marriage on the ballot. Mitt Romney? Well, he’s been less supportive.
Aubrey
I’m glad that Obama has stated he “personally” favors civil equality for same sex couples.
However, Obama has also declared that same sex marriage should be left up to the states to decide. Obama says he favors letting states have “discussions” to determine if they will allow equality.
I have no illusions about either Republicans or Democrats. I don’t want the Republicans to win – I take them at their word re: the lgbt community’s rights.
But I also take Obama at his word as well. And Obama wants people to be able to vote on our rights. That is his official position.
Aubrey
One last thought. It could be interesting if SCOTUS picks DOMA for review (and Obama wins the election).
If SCOTUS picks the Windsor case (a recent decision where a very conservative Federal Appeals Justice wrote an opinion that could lay the groundwork for overturning all marriage bans) – then we’d have a sitting Democrat president asking SCOTUS to keep its review to stricly Sec. 3 of DOMA. Because Obama wants the states to be able to decide (a ‘let the people vote’ kind of thing); whereas Judge Jacobs (a Republican) wrote a stirring majority opinion that speaks to a national civil equality.
We could find ourselves with Obama advocating a quasi-permanent 2nd-class citizenship for same-sex couples (at least in those @ 40 states that don’t allow civil equality).
Now wouldn’t that be a sad outcome from our “fierce advocate”?