Courtesy of Bloomberg:
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex weddings to start in Alabama, letting the number of gay-marriage states climb in advance of a constitutional showdown that may mean legalization nationwide.
In a 7-2 order, the justices rejected Alabama’s bid to stop a federal trial judge’s legalization order from taking effect Monday. The state now will become the 37th where gays can marry. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.
The rebuff brings gay marriage to a state whose chief justice, Roy Moore, has told officials not to comply.
You know there is something about the idea of redneck gay marriages in Alabama that brings a smile to my face.
I think I might like an invite.
By the way Alabama's largest newspaper took it upon themselves to ask if the Chief Justice Roy Moore, might in fact not be gay himself. You know because it often turns out that those the most adamantly against gay marriage, often turn out to be deeply in the closet themselves.
They even asked their readers for their opinion. Here are the results:
By the way the judge who married the first gay couple today wanted to have his picture taken with them.
When are they going to legalize sologamy? It doesn't seem quite fair not to.
ReplyDeleteThe same day they ban the Palins from ever using a microphone or FB again.
DeleteWhat exactly is sologamy?
DeleteSologamy????? Is that using salamis to have sex or what?
DeleteTed Olson and David Boies are heroes for all they've done to bring forward the issue of same sex marriage. True legal heroes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a morning person, yet today I woke up early, read and watched some blogs and saw history being made. Congratultions to so many couples, yet not to all couples could participate. What a day. Though Moore is digging in his heels and doing a George Wallace. It'll be great when he's held in contempt and his decision is finally reversed all across Alabama.
ReplyDeleteA guide to Biblical dating and marriage in the 21st century
ReplyDeleteThe institution of marriage is under attack, and Monday morning the blitz begins - men marrying men and women wedding women at courthouses throughout Alabama. The hour is at hand.
Same sex-couples will have the legal right to be institutionalized, just like everybody else.
Not even the Holier-than-thou Trinity of Roy Moore, Rick and Bubba could turn back the assault.
They have implored probate judges to recognize only the biblical definition of marriage, so I decided to crack the holy book to see what that means. The Bible, it seems, has at least as many definitions of marriage as a Webster's dictionary.
The book of Deuteronomy has some strange rules for biblical courtship.
**Trigger Warning for anyone sensitive to certain subject matter, or for that matter anyone who has a conscience and/or who thinks that women are not property - things are about to get a little rapey. Just skip to the bold type a little farther down.
...OK, we're past the raping and killing part now.
I know what you're probably thinking right now: Kyle, you're cherry-picking little bits and pieces of the Bible to make a ridiculous argument.
The thing here is that everyone is cherry-picking.
Religions are grocery stores with many shelves, and you get to pick what you put in your cart. If you want to shop for junk that's going to make you sick, that's your prerogative. If you want to stick to the outer aisles where most of the unprocessed, healthy things are, you can do that, too.
...Because the definition of marriage is between two people. They define what it means to them the same way couples may write their own wedding vows -- without any editing from the government.
And those politicians and professional blowhards who huff and puff about marriage being an institution under assault can go worry about the state's other institutions - prisons, mental hospitals and schools. You know, the ones that need help.
The institution of marriage will be just fine on its own.
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/02/a_guide_to_biblical_dating_and.html#incart_story_package
...In fact, Jessica and Sherry are so conservative, religiously, that they didn't have a word for the electric connection between them when they met in 2005. Jessica and Sherry could not admit such an outlandish idea to themselves, but the people around them knew. Within a year, both lost their jobs at a large church when fellow staff members decided that something was "unbalanced" about their intense friendship.
ReplyDelete"The leaders of the church told me they had been monitoring our private instant messenger conversations for some time," Jessie Seals said. "They wanted to protect me from the evils of homosexuality, and had a holy inkling that we were headed in that direction."
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/02/jessica_and_sherry.html#incart_river
Baptist minister explains why she will be performing the first same-sex marriage ceremony in Huntsville
ReplyDelete"One of the issues for many is whether same sex marriages comport with biblical ideas of marriages. The truth is that people in the 21st century would not be comfortable with the kinds of marriages which are represented in the Bible. For example, we would not be comfortable with the biblical model that is one man, one woman, one concubine. Nor would we be comfortable with the idea of a widow being compelled to marry her brother-in-law. There is very little in the Bible which reflects the modern idea of one man & one woman united by love. That is where we have been comfortable for a long time now.
Today, we are being asked to move even further down the road of marriages being based on love. We are being asked to expand our ideas to include one man and another man united in marriage by love. Of one woman and another woman united by love.
It was not too many years ago that we in Alabama at last understood that the long-held ban on interracial marriages was hurtful and wrong. We moved further down the road of love. Now, most of us think nothing of interracial marriages.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the state of Alabama will move as a people even further down the road of love as the only legitimate basis for marriage. We as a people will recognize that God truly does love us all.
However, in the spirit of Governor Wallace standing in the school house door, the probate judges in Madison and surrounding counties have announced they no longer will perform any marriage ceremonies.
This means that same sex couples, many of whom have no pastor because they have not been welcome in their own churches, would have had nowhere to turn had it not been for the good people who have organized "Wedding Week".
During the week of Feb. 9, a number of ministers have volunteered to officiate at marriage ceremonies for whoever needs one. There has been a wonderful show of support for couples, many of whom have waited years or even decades to have their relationship solemnized by way of license and ceremony, from people offering wedding gowns, cupcakes, bubbles, and photography. So many people want to celebrate with people who have waited too long.
I have been invited to officiate at the first ceremony and to offer a short inspirational homily to those gathered in downtown Huntsville Monday morning. I am deeply touched by the invitation and have agreed enthusiastically.
I want to invite everyone who will to celebrate with the couples who have waited so long for this day.
To God be the glory!"
http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/02/baptist_minister_explains_why.html#incart_most-read_news_article
Officials in nine of the state's 67 counties said they will issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in accordance with a ruling by a federal judge.
ReplyDeleteProbate judges in most of the large counties, including Jefferson, Montgomery and Madison Counties, issued licenses for same-sex couples. Officials in Etowah, Fayette, Chilton, Coffee, Lowndes and Crenshaw Counties also said they were prepared to issue licenses to all couples, gay or straight.
In 12 counties, probate judges decided to follow instructions issued by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore late Sunday night to not issue licenses to same-sex couples. Officials continued to issue marriage licenses to straight couples only in DeKalb, Blount, Talladega, Cleburne, Randolph, Elmore, Lee, Russell, Sumter, Wilcox, Washington and Baldwin Counties.
Probate judges in the majority of the state's counties stopped issuing all licenses, although some took applications from all couples while awaiting legal clarification.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/nine_of_67_counties_will_issue.html#incart_river
What a lovely picture! It brought a smile to my face, and I forgot my migraine for awhile.
ReplyDeleteMine too. I love that the judge wanted to pose with them.
DeleteAnd this is the man who wants to be president. This is how he vets his staff...
ReplyDeleteJeb Bush Hires Woman Hating Gay Bashing Techie
Ethan Czahor has been hired by a Republican who clearly didn’t vet him first or didn’t care (Sen. John McCain redux), so you can guess the nature of the tweets. Female art majors are sluts, but science majors are uglier sluts, gay men want him at the gym, and an array of general disrespect for women typically found on total-losers-who-can’t-get-a-woman’s Twitter accounts.
Ethan Czahor, co-founder of the now defunct Hipster.com, has been hired by former Governor of Florida and brother to the guy who crashed the economy after invading Iraq on a lie, Jeb Bush.
Here are reportedly a few of his tweets from BuzzFeed:
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/02/09/jeb-bush-hires-techie-tweets-ugly-sluts-burping-gays.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/new-jeb-bush-chief-technology-officer-deleting-old?utm_term=.aqoa6OJ0n#.yqEvLdeL9o
It's unfortunate that this happened over the weekend when no one was paying attention, because it is a magnificent response to the ridiculous and over-the-top faux outrage over President Obama's National Prayer Breakfast remarks last week.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Williams, Executive Editor of Blue Nation Review, took on Cove Strategies' partner Mercedes Schlapp over the ridiculous barrage of conservative poutrage over the President's comments, specifically about the Crusades.
Williams is a Southern-born, God-fearing Christian, who "was not offended at all by the President's remarks." Instead, Williams said, "Frankly, I would like to hear all Christians own up to the fact that when you have religious extremism from any religion, it's extremism altogether."
http://crooksandliars.com/2015/02/msnbc-commentator-smacks-down-faux-outrage
Every time a state legalizes same sex marroiage a I cry, for two reasons. One, out of joy for the happy couple, and two, I cry out of sorrow that my Native American Mom, who had to go to Canada to marry my white Dad, and was blackballed from any job she applied for because of it, isn't here to see how far we have come. Mom we keep moving on for all minorities!
ReplyDeleteWe must never forget!
DeleteThis is why the lies of the right wing need to be continually exposed.
Did you read what satirist Andy Borowitz wrote about this? Priceless: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/alabama-loses-yet-another-fight-remain-eighteenth-century?mbid=nl_020915_Borowitz&CNDID=25305106&spMailingID=7490466&spUserID=MzI3Nzk2MzQwMzUS1&spJobID=621011607&spReportId=NjIxMDExNjA3S0
ReplyDeleteSo the RWNJs have a real fixation on trans people and public restrooms.
ReplyDeleteLike this one. A Floriduh lawmaker.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/florida-lawmaker-says-using-restroom-is-a-choice-for-transge#.ts0dXDb1aJ
Dan Savage (aka the Santorum definer) has a proposed protest. Occupy Restrooms. http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2015/02/09/florida-rep-wants-to-throw-trans-people-in-prison-for-using-public-toilets
"But if assholes like Artiles want public toilets to be the arena where we debate trans rights—if that's where assholes like Artiles wanna fight this one out—I think trans activists should meet the assholes in their preferred arena: Get a small group of trans activists and their allies together and occupy the public toilets in Representative Artiles's office—even better, get a large group of trans activists their allies together and occupy all of the toilets in Florida's state capitol building. March in, seize the restrooms, and put out a press release: "Frank Artiles wants to talk about public toilets. So let's talk public toilets. Let's talk about trans people, lets talk about violence, and let's talk about who's really in danger of being attacked in a public toilet.""
Hopefully this Alinsky inspired Chicago style Shit In really happens.
Sarah Palin explaining what a real Alinsky shit in is...is it wrong that I'm smiling???
Living as a moderate in Alabama has been an eye-opening experience in the depths of human stupidity and ignorance. At one point 10 years back or so the Republican governor launched a referendum to raise taxes on wealthy landowners, such as people who have large plots of land for timber, real estate speculation, etc. Wouldn't affect homeowners, the money was needed to keep vital services like Medicaid afloat, etc. And over 60% of voters voted "no". I told a friend, "I knew there were a lot of ignorant people in AL, but I didn't think we were that outnumbered."
ReplyDeleteRoy Moore is another thing entirely. For the life of me I can't figure out why he hasn't been disbarred. AYR, he originally got his fame (and supreme court seat) based on his support of a ten commandmants display, refusing to follow a federal order to remove it. Even a high school graduate (except maybe here) know that federal law trumps state law. His non-compliance should have been seen as contempt; it would have been if a lower court ignored the ruling of the supreme court on an issue just cause they thought it was wrong. And he couldn't see that openly displaying christian symbols in your courtroom might be seen as having a bias towards christians, which is in violation of the code of ethics for judges to avoid anything that could have even the appearance of bias.
So once more he goes on in defiance of federal courts, not only proving his ignorant but incapable of not repeating the same mistakes. And this clown is on the supreme court here?