Pro-life and for same-sex marriage

The news reports for this one seem a bit convoluted. I think it comes down to this: Earlier this summer a state court in Arkansas struck down the same-sex marriage ban. The case now goes to the state Supremes. The attorneys for the gay couples are concerned. Maybe up to five of the seven members of the Arkansas Supremes are up for election. Conservative state lawmakers have declared if the Supremes side with marriage equality the justices will be targeted. Therefore the attorneys say those justices cannot be unbiased, and therefore they should step aside when this case is heard.

The Supremes have ruled on that request for their own to step aside: denied.



The marriage equality case in Wisconsin will be appealed to the Supremes.



Fifteen states that already have same-sex marriage and another seventeen who don't (most of those cases haven't been decided yet, though Oklahoma's case has already been through the Circuit Court) have asked the Supremes to take the Oklahoma case and settle the same-sex marriage issue. Let's be done with it. Yes, that's almost two-thirds of the states.

Commenter Ben~Andy explains the move this way: At one point we [voters or legislature] really liked these same-sex marriage bans. But they're indefensible now and we don't want to spend the money to defend them. Though we can see the writing on the wall, we're weak and spineless. So we want you, the Supremes, to get rid of those laws for us. That has the added benefit that we can rail against you, turn out our base, and win in November, take back the Senate and pack the judiciary to our liking.

While I agree that is likely how many conservatives are thinking it is almost impossible for the Supremes to rule before November.



A bit more about the ruling from the 7th Circuit Court. A good deal of the questioning during oral arguments had to do with refuting the claim that gay parents are harmful to children. A good chunk of the ruling takes the opposite view. Same-sex parents are just fine and we need to support that because they are more willing to adopt kids who have been in the foster care system. Taking it one more step:

Also, the more willing adopters there are, not only the fewer children there will be in foster care or being raised by single mothers but also the fewer abortions there will be. Carrying a baby to term and putting the baby up for adoption is an alternative to abortion for a pregnant woman who thinks that as a single mother she could not cope with the baby. The pro-life community recognizes this.

What a delicious piece of reasoning! If you are pro-life you should be for same-sex marriage. It will be the gay couples who care for the babies who aren't aborted.



Craig James of the Family Research Council (declared a hate group for their diatribes and work against us) is a little jealous of our recent success. Perhaps his gang could learn a few political organizational skills from us, cuz, obviously, we're so good at it. Commenters respond the FRC couldn't reproduce our success because it is built on such things as reason, science, rationality, humanity, compassion, understanding, truth, and love.



Randy Thomas used to be Executive Vice President of Exodus International, that group that used to champion gay conversion therapy. Exodus has closed its doors and Thomas is now apologizing for his role in promoting therapy that didn't work and ruined lives. Back in 2008 he was "jubilant" that California's Prop 8 passed. The next day he saw the faces of the gay community. Maybe the win was a terrible wrong. Here's a piece of his apology:

The part that breaks my heart, is that the night that Prop 8 (and other marriage bans) passed, we made it very clear to the gay community that policy was more important than they are. We made it clear that we thought that investing in rules was more important than sacrificially serving in honest relationship. We communicated that we valued the letter of the law more than the authentic expression of grace in the context of humbly living our lives and loving our neighbor. The message we sent was deeply damaging to our relationships with our gay neighbors and family members.

For my part in this, I deeply apologize.

He is now glad that marriage bans are being struck down.