Jeremy Hooper's Blog, page 34

No, I don't want the baker, florist, et al. to lose a house—that's why I oppose the ADF's deceit!

In the wake of the opinion against discriminatory Washington florist Barronelle Stutzman, just like in the wake of similar opinions to come before, I keep seeing anti-equality groups and figureheads make it all about Ms. Stutzman's age ("She's a grandMOTHER!") and what effect this could have on her. The general meme goes something like:

[AFA]

I've even seen some conservatives insist that those of us who applaud the court's fair recognition of nondiscrimination law are somehow "gloating" over th...

Rep. Huelskamp reintroduces Federal [Mirage] Amendment

Just a few steps out the door following a truly enjoyable tour of the US Capitol, eight-year-old Tommy Anderson stopped on heel, raised his hands above his head, and yelled out, "shotgun!" No, he wasn't a burgeoning lobbyist for the NRA, but rather a determined youth hellbent on seizing that coveted front seat of his mother's Buick before his younger brother Joey got his own ideas. Tommy was prescient enough to plan ahead, determined enough to put his force of will behind his practical notion...

New low for 'Public Discourse': Conserv. site compares fifty-state marriage, fifty-state slavery

In Dred Scott v. Stanford (1857), a 7–2 majority on the United States Supreme Court held that African Americans are not American citizens and upheld slavery as being legal nationwide.

In the United States v. Windsor (2013), a 5–4 majority of the United States Supreme Court held that the then–eighty-three-year-old Edith Windsor is, in fact, an American citizen and thus is entitled to have her marriage equality recognized under federal law.

"PERFECT COMPARISON!" says an increasingly off-the-rails...

NOM trying to sell 'damage to families and society' as foregone conclusion

For years the National Organization for Marriage, as well as the frankly much more effective organizations that preceded it, have been trying to sell the idea that marriage equality would hurt people and families and countries and planets and billy goats. This was something they could do when we had no or even just a couple of states with marriage equality. It's easy to monger the intellectually crude fear when there are so few test cases.

But now that we have thirty-seven states, many of whic...

So do it, Alabama judge. Go ahead. Let's see it. Stop marriages. Poop or get off the pot

I'm so tired of certain Alabama judges dragging feet and making petulant threats. Latest:

Alabama Supreme Court Justice Threatens To Abolish All Marriages In The State to Prevent Gays From Marrying [Towleroad]

So go ahead, Judge Murdock. Stop all marriages and then go on any media outlet that will have you, and tell everyone that Ray and Steve and their shared love is the reason why. Bring it. We're waiting.

But if you're not going to do it? Then, judge, please kindly stop these idle and self-ce...

READ: Full text, signatories of offensive and hubristic 'Evangelicals and Catholics Together' statement

Rick Warren, Maggie Gallagher, Ryan Anderson, Robert George, and Rob Gagnon. Those are just some of the notable movement conservatives who have signed on to a new religious statement on marriage, the full text of which has finally been released.

Not only is the downright hostile statement an attempt to pit certain people's personally-held religion against shared civil rights, but it also goes far beyond just marriage. It pits homosexuality itself against God's design, suggesting that celibacy...

CNN poll: 63% of Americans respect same-sex couples' basic, fair, deserved civil rights

Inevitability:

On another issue slated to come before the court this term, 63% of Americans say that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry and have their marriages recognized by the law as valid. That's up from 49% in August 2010. Over that time, the share who see marriage as a constitutional right has climbed 15 points among Republicans to 42% and 19 points among Democrats to 75%.

FULL: Poll: Obama's approval ratings stagnant despite economy [CNN]

Sen. Ted Cruz will soon move t...

Breaking-but-in-no-way-shocking: Washington florist did discriminate against gay couple

Business owners who run a public accommodation that purports to offer a certain service do not have the right to treat same-sex couples differently from opposite-sex couples, at least in jurisdictions that have shored up fair nondiscrimination protections. That's really not up for debate. Tonight, another judge is making that clear:

Judge: Arlene’s Flowers owner violated the law [Tri-City Herald]

If conservative activists really cared about business owners like Ms. Stutzman from Arlene's Flower...

The telling way anti-equality conservatives hide behind the marriage debate

Over on the Heritage Foundation's Daily Signal, staffer Kelsey J Harkness has a piece up under the following headline:

[Daily Signal]

Harkness repeats the "because of his belief in traditional marriage" line in her opening. The idea being that Kelvin Cochran, ousted fire chief, simply disagreed on a policy position.

Only thing? It's a lie. And not only is it a lie, but Harkness' conceit doesn't even accurately represent what the Alliance Defending Freedom lawsuit, her basis for the piece, says....

Anti-gay Alabamans think showing up and waving signs will change the law, apparently

It's the least they could do. I mean that literally:

[Sanctity of Marriage Alabama]

Have at it, kids. You can even bring some shredders and destroy ten thousand copies of the United States constitution, if that feels cathartic to you. Infinity minus ten thousand is still infinity; our nation's precious guiding documents will continue to exist and will continue to trump personal animus.