I try not to write just about same sex marriage - even as my husband and I continue to savor the marital after glow of our marriage in the District of Columbia - but some days it seems almost impossible. Even as analysis of the oral arguments before the 4th Circuit was being written, a federal judge in Idaho struck down that state's anti-gay marriage bans. It is almost humorous to see the Christofascists reeling after one defeat after another in the various U.S. District Courts (all together, some 70 court cases are pending challenging anti-gay animus based laws and constitutional amendments). The Idaho Statesman has details. Here are highlights:
BOISE — U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale has ruled Idaho's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.In her 57-page decision, Dale stated, "Idaho’s Marriage Laws withhold from them a profound and personal choice, one that most can take for granted. By doing so, Idaho’s Marriage Laws deny same-sex couples the economic, practical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of marriage, relegating each couple to a stigmatized, second-class status. Plaintiffs suffer these injuries not because they are unqualified to marry, start a family, or grow old together, but because of who they are and whom they love."Gov. Butch Otter responded in a written statement: "In 2006, the people of Idaho exercised their fundamental right, reaffirming that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Today’s decision, while disappointing, is a small setback in a long-term battle that will end at the U.S. Supreme Court. I am firmly committed to upholding the will of the people and defending our Constitution.”The court's injunction is effective 9 a.m. Friday.Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry: "Today's ruling from the federal court in Idaho is the latest in more than a dozen rulings unanimously holding marriage discrimination unconstitutional. From Idaho to Arkansas, Utah to Michigan, the courts are affirming that there is no good reason for government to deny marriage to committed couples. As gay couples and their families begin to share in the joy and security of the freedom to marry, hearts and minds are opening, discrimination's barriers are falling, and we're moving our country to the right side of history. As the federal appellate courts now take up these marriage cases, America is ready for the freedom to marry."
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