Michigan Gay Marriage Trial Begins - Experts Bash Christofascists' Claims

As noted recently, Michigan's same sex marriage ban which was passed in 2004 is being challenged in federal court in Detroit and the case will pit legitimate medical and mental health professionals against far right quacks and disgraced researchers such as Mark Regnerus who will claim that same sex parenting is "bad for children."  The trial began yesterday with experts testifying that the Christofascist arguments are without merit and, basically lies.   The defenders of the ban are trotting out the usual reasons to uphold the ban: gays cannot procreate, children "need a mother and father," and mob majority rule motivated by what "God wants." In short, the state is making the same arguments that were rejected in United States v. Windsor to try to justify DOMA.   Here are excerpts from the Detroit News on the first day of trial:

Detroit — Research shows a wide variety in how men and woman parent, but their gender is irrelevant to child outcomes, an expert testified Tuesday in a federal court trial challenging Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage and adoption law.

“Both men and women do the same kinds of things. They can engage in the same kind of behavior,” psychologist David Brodzinksy testified in U.S District Court on Tuesday. “It’s not the gender of the parents that matters, it’s the quality of the care.”

Brodzinsky, an expert in adoption, foster care and same-sex parenting, said children of gay and lesbians show no discernible difference in outcome and general characteristics compared with children of heterosexual couples.

“Moms and dads are important as parents. They are not important as males and females,” he said.

The testimony came as part of a lawsuit brought by lawyers for a Hazel Park lesbian couple who are challenging Michigan’s law that does not allow same-sex couples to adopt each other’s children.

April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, both nurses, amended their lawsuit against the state to include a challenge against Michigan’s ban on gay marriage. The ban was approved by Michigan voters in 2004.

Assistant Attorney General Kristin Heyse defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage and adoption, saying this case is about the will of the people, the 2.7 million Michigan voters who defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

Meanwhile, a few dozen protesters on both sides of the issue, including Jesse Bacon of Roseville, held signs near the courthouse Tuesday.

Bacon had been out since 8 a.m. showing her support of striking down the same-sex marriage ban.

“It is not religious for me. It is political,” Bacon said. “The Constitution offers equal protection and rights to all U.S. citizens.”

Pastor Rex Evans of First Free Will Baptist Church in Ypsilanti supports upholding the same-sex marriage ban and said he was out Tuesday to exercise his freedom of speech, just as those who want to see it struck down.  “The people of the state spoke in 2004,” Evans said. “I am standing up for what God wants us to do.”

 

Religion has no place in the civil laws and Pastor Evans needs to get his head out of his ass.  Moreover, if folks like Evans and their churches continue to interfere with the civil laws, they need to lose their tax-exempt status.  Taxpayers should not be forced to indirectly subsidize hate, ignorance and bigotry.