Sunshine to bigotry

After a couple days of treading carefully, Michigan Gov. Rich Snyder has said the state gov't will not recognize all those same-sex marriages performed last Saturday (final count: 315) until the appeals process has concluded and the Supremes tell him he has to. Which essentially proves the plaintiffs case that withholding marriage rights creates inequality. Next step: several Dem congressmen from Michigan are asking the Dept. of Justice for federal recognition as was done in Utah.



Mich. Attorney General Bill Scheutte has been saying a lot that he's upholding the will of 2.7 million voters by pursuing an appeal of the recent marriage equality decision. Never mind that a good number of those 2.7 million voters have been replaced or had a change of heart in the 10 years since the marriage amendment was voted in.

So to Scheutte's efforts to protect the wishes of the voter: A Between the Lines editorial is calling Scheutte a liar. Their proof is the frequency in which Scheutte has been working against the wishes of the voters. There's that voter approved medical marijuana law that Scheutte is working to undermine (or eliminate). Scheutte was silent when the GOP-led legislature rammed through a replacement Emergency Manager law after voters defeated the previous version. He was also silent in the mess over wolf hunting. And again when the Right-to-Work law was rammed through.

At least elected officials get respect when they tell the truth. In this case it would be Scheutte saying, "I am asking for a stay and an appeal because of my religious convictions and those of my party's base." Instead, and contrary to his religion saying not to, he lies.



Ari Ezra Waldman of Towleroad reviews last week's Michigan marriage-equality case. There is a big aspect worth noting. We gained by having a full trial rather than a summary judgment. It forced our opponents to swear an oath, to go on record, and to be cross-examined and debunked. It brought sunshine to bigotry. It showed the "utter irrationality of preventing gays from marrying." The trial was a good thing.

But the Windsor decision by the Supremes last summer, the one that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, was broad enough in its demand for "equal dignity" that trials may not be needed in future cases.



Rand Hoch is Florida's first openly gay judge. He is predicting that marriage equality will come to all of America by the end of June in 2016. He has been watching the issue work through various district courts and into several Circuit Courts. Hoch predicts the Supremes will have to take it up at least by the 2015-16 term, which means a ruling by June of 2016. I notice he has no doubt which way the Supremes will rule.

To my dear sister: Can you wait two years? I know you don't want to.