Tomorrow is a big day for same-sex marriage in the United States. When California’s Proposition 8 goes on trial tomorrow before Judge Vaughn Walker in a Federal Court in San Francisco, the decision will not just impact the same-sex marriage ban in California. Because the constitutionality of Proposition 8 is being tested in Federal Court, it is being evaluated against the tenants of the United States Constitution, which apply to every state in the United States. The tenants involved are exactly those I’ve written about same-sex marriage from the very beginning of this blog and involve the very heart of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
This is a really interesting time for same-sex marriage, not just in the United States, but around the world. Mexico City and, just this last week, Portugal legalized same-sex marriage. Did you know that countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and South Africa without a 14th Amendment like ours have legalized same-sex marriage? In our own country, Iowa and the District of Columbia legalized same-sex marriage within the same six months that it failed in New York and New Jersey.
Religious institutions, including the Catholic Church, are fighting with all of their might to suppress the same-sex marriage movement. I call it a movement because this issue is indeed moving and it’s gaining momentum. I think the religious zealots and hate mongers are running scared. So scared that they are also fighting to prevent this week’s trial from being broadcast on Youtube. If their arguments and intentions are so pure, why would they be so afraid for the public to hear their testimony? What do they have to hide? The plaintiffs are promoting the broadcast of the trial and even Judge Walker, who approved the broadcast, recognizes the social significance of the trial. It’s probably not surprising that even the 9th District Court of Appeals stood behind Walker’s order to allow the broadcast. As a last-ditched effort, the defendants have petitioned the United States Supreme Court to block the broadcast. ….What exactly is it that they are afraid of? If I had to guess, I would say that they are afraid of being seen for the haters and extremists that they are.
Unless the haters get a last minute reprieve from Supreme Court, stay tuned to Youtube.com tomorrow as the landmark case begins. http://www.youtube.com/usdccand
