Shimmering, golden glow

The Supreme Court of Alabama has declared their interpretation of the state's same-sex marriage ban trumps that of the federal district judge, who had ruled the ban unconstitutional. And they did this without Chief Justice Roy Moore (though some commenters think his fingerprints are all over the text). You can read this ruling, though be prepared for a whole lot of head scratching while trying to make sense of it. Summary: they pulled out all the anti-gay arguments used against us. Though illogical, they're defiant. The only court that they say can overrule them is the Supremes.

The anti-gay crowd is, of course, ecstatic. Especially since all counties have stopped issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Up to this point only 48 of Alabama's 67 counties had followed the federal order. Now none are. The battle between state and federal courts could get entertaining – if it wasn't for the mental anguish experienced by same-sex couples in Alabama.

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville responded:

This is all about straight bigots who feel like their rights are being eroded because they can't distinguish between "rights" and "privileges." Their right to get married is wholly intact; their privilege of being conferred that right while it is denied to others based on sexual orientation is vanishing.

What feels like a loss of "rights" is actually just a desperate insecurity about their super-special relationships losing the shimmering, golden glow that only denying marriage equality to same-sex couples conveys upon their gloriously gilded unions.

Lots of people are calling this ruling despicable. Here is the best response: George Takei and his husband give this ruling a one-finger salute – using the fingers with their wedding rings.