Supreme Court rules same-sex marriage legal nationwide in landmark ruling

[Bean Bag]

Hey Bubbly, just having a little fun at your expense, to break things up a bit. Sorry! 

[alf wiedersehen]

Hey Bubbly, just having a little fun at your expense, to break things up a bit. Sorry! 

No, it's fine. I regret saying what I did. We all have different opinions, and that's okay with me.

[the captain]

I have to take a deep breath every time I go to the sandbox ("do I really want to do this?").

And we finally find another place to agree. Because our wildly different concepts of how differences should (or can?) be discussed, let's just leave it at that. Best wishes to you.

[sea of tunes]

I'm pleased now that gays/lesbians are free to enjoy the misery straights have known for all time. 

It's a long time overdue, I'm glad it's done being legislated and debated and all the rest.  I say that knowing there will be future suits brought before courts about churches being forced to perform the gay marriages (they shouldn't be, IMO) and probably further suits about cake makers and photographers being forced to provide services to gay couples (they should, IMO)

Hopefully people (those religious objections) can move on with their lives and realize that at the end of the day, this will not adversely affect them in any way.

And if there are objections to yesterday's SCOTUS ruling on the basis that it was 9 unelected individuals made this decision...well, it's a mater of personal liberty to gays/lesbians and since all other avenues were exhausted, SCOTUS was asked to decide and has.

I've evolved on this issue over my 39 years and hopefully the rest of America can as well.

[Wirestone]

Just one point, and I will vamoose.

(As a gay person married to a man, I am obviously hopelessly biased on this topic and therefore am unqualified to comment.)

However, those who have religious objections to gay people and gay marriage are protected by perhaps the strongest law imaginable -- the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They may say and preach whatever they want, and that will not change as long as this nation survives.

Gay people, however, can be fired, can be turned out of their homes, can be legally discriminated against in 29 of the 50 states -- simply for their sexual orientation. There is no federal law that protects gay people from the hatred of others. If you are gay in Kansas or Texas or Florida or Arizona or Ohio, you can go to work, tell your boss, "I'm gay," -- or your boss can merely suspect it -- and he or she can terminate you for that. And tell you so. Landlords or banks can then refuse you a lease or mortgage -- simply because you're gay. And tell you so. And when you try to buy food, a grocery store and restaurant can refuse you entrance. Because you're gay.

So by all means, talk about how the intolerant liberal fascists are taking over the country, and talk about how unelected judges are ruining our Constitution. A lot of liberals will point to Citizens United and agree on the second point!

But you might spare a bit of sympathy for your brothers and sisters in humanity in the majority of states who only live -- who only survive -- based on the goodwill of others.

[sea of tunes]

Just one point, and I will vamoose.

(As a gay person married to a man, I am obviously hopelessly biased on this topic and therefore am unqualified to comment.)

However, those who have religious objections to gay people and gay marriage are protected by perhaps the strongest law imaginable -- the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They may say and preach whatever they want, and that will not change as long as this nation survives.

Gay people, however, can be fired, can be turned out of their homes, can be legally discriminated against in 29 of the 50 states -- simply for their sexual orientation. There is no federal law that protects gay people from the hatred of others. If you are gay in Kansas or Texas or Florida or Arizona or Ohio, you can go to work, tell your boss, "I'm gay," -- or your boss can merely suspect it -- and he or she can terminate you for that. And tell you so. Landlords or banks can then refuse you a lease or mortgage -- simply because you're gay. And tell you so. And when you try to buy food, a grocery store and restaurant can refuse you entrance. Because you're gay.

So by all means, talk about how the intolerant liberal fascists are taking over the country, and talk about how unelected judges are ruining our Constitution. A lot of liberals will point to Citizens United and agree on the second point!

But you might spare a bit of sympathy for your brothers and sisters in humanity in the majority of states who only live -- who only survive -- based on the goodwill of others.

As someone who lives in the fringe of Karl Hess Libertarianism and Barry Goldwater Republicanism, I feel like today we are probably more free than we have ever been and I'm very happy that that gays and lesbians are no longer subjugated as separate but now equal to all. 

The more personal freedom and liberty we have the better and modern conservatives would be wise to get on the bus before it leaves them to the dustbin of history.

[Douchepool]

I don't really care about gay marriage per se; I see it as a distraction from much bigger issues (Trans-Pacific Partnership, Greek debt crisis potentially leading to more trouble in the recession, a league of presidential candidates in both major parties who have already proven they aren't worth sh*t hence their endless appeals to emotion). It was just a problem that was created because government decided to involve itself in the personal dealings of consenting adults (also against the First Amendment).

Anything government touches turns to sh*t, and from where I sit, government magically allowing gays the "permission" to marry only goes to prove who is really in charge. Get the government out of the marriage business and stop legislating personal matters. The law is not a barometer for morality.

[Awesoman]

Just one point, and I will vamoose.

(As a gay person married to a man, I am obviously hopelessly biased on this topic and therefore am unqualified to comment.)

However, those who have religious objections to gay people and gay marriage are protected by perhaps the strongest law imaginable -- the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They may say and preach whatever they want, and that will not change as long as this nation survives.

Gay people, however, can be fired, can be turned out of their homes, can be legally discriminated against in 29 of the 50 states -- simply for their sexual orientation. There is no federal law that protects gay people from the hatred of others. If you are gay in Kansas or Texas or Florida or Arizona or Ohio, you can go to work, tell your boss, "I'm gay," -- or your boss can merely suspect it -- and he or she can terminate you for that. And tell you so. Landlords or banks can then refuse you a lease or mortgage -- simply because you're gay. And tell you so. And when you try to buy food, a grocery store and restaurant can refuse you entrance. Because you're gay.

So by all means, talk about how the intolerant liberal fascists are taking over the country, and talk about how unelected judges are ruining our Constitution. A lot of liberals will point to Citizens United and agree on the second point!

But you might spare a bit of sympathy for your brothers and sisters in humanity in the majority of states who only live -- who only survive -- based on the goodwill of others.

Wirestone, I think you bring up some good points (although I have yet to go to or work at a grocery store where any gay people were ever turned away).  No one should be unfairly fired or rejected solely based on their sexual orientation.  On the flip side, there have been plenty of decent people with opposing views on this subject that also have been scrutinized unfairly for their beliefs.  That little Christian-themed pizza place in Nowhere, Indiana comes to mind.  A news crew visited the town, saw their religious-themed restaurant and decided to make an example of these people.   The owners were immediately attacked, vilified, and threatened by thousands of people and were briefly forced to close down their place of business.  A public school P.E. teacher even wanted to burn their restaurant down.  Hundreds of online Yelp and Google reviews popped up desecrating these people and their restaurant.   You may not have agreed on their stance but their comments were totally benign. 

[Bean Bag]

Excellent points by all. I feel like the last few post really frame and some up the issue succinctly.  However, I will add two points...

First I am proud to defend the religious institution of marriage. Not from gays or politics or anything -- but everything that attacks it. 99.9% of the attacks come from idiots who enter into it for all the wrong reasons. Marriage is a religious institution where a man and woman are joined by God. Not a partnership. Anybody can have a partnership. Or a friendship. Business relationship. Spiritual bond. Love. Affection. Kinship. Lust. Wavelength groove. Omertà. Oath. Marriage was defined by the joining of the two halves of physical humanity. And it still is, despite what people say or pretend or legislate.  That change needs to happen for real.

The second point is, you don't have to buy into any of that. No one was forcing you to. However now, people will be forced to do things that they don't want to. For example -- if you don't like golf, you don't play it. But if you don't like golf, legislate it changed to be more like football, then force others to do the same and make allowances to retro fit the game of golf and golf courses to now include field goal posts, refs, and end zones -- lest face a lawsuit of horrendous social consequences -- Well then you're a dink. And you deserve to be called a dink.

That's why the smart Justices feel so bad about what this has done. This is not progress. In fact, they warned, much progress may even be lost. We love all of you. And this isn't Love. This is fascism.  I'm sorry, Love did not win. It's just not that easy. And I know nobody wants to hear that. I'm sorry.

 

[Moon Dawg]

Just one point, and I will vamoose.

(As a gay person married to a man, I am obviously hopelessly biased on this topic and therefore am unqualified to comment.)

However, those who have religious objections to gay people and gay marriage are protected by perhaps the strongest law imaginable -- the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They may say and preach whatever they want, and that will not change as long as this nation survives.

Gay people, however, can be fired, can be turned out of their homes, can be legally discriminated against in 29 of the 50 states -- simply for their sexual orientation. There is no federal law that protects gay people from the hatred of others. If you are gay in Kansas or Texas or Florida or Arizona or Ohio, you can go to work, tell your boss, "I'm gay," -- or your boss can merely suspect it -- and he or she can terminate you for that. And tell you so. Landlords or banks can then refuse you a lease or mortgage -- simply because you're gay. And tell you so. And when you try to buy food, a grocery store and restaurant can refuse you entrance. Because you're gay.

So by all means, talk about how the intolerant liberal fascists are taking over the country, and talk about how unelected judges are ruining our Constitution. A lot of liberals will point to Citizens United and agree on the second point!

But you might spare a bit of sympathy for your brothers and sisters in humanity in the majority of states who only live -- who only survive -- based on the goodwill of others.

  I wasn't aware this could happen in Ohio. I live in Columbus, OH, which is generally considered to be a gay friendly city.

[Moon Dawg]

Excellent points by all. I feel like the last few post really frame and some up the issue succinctly.  However, I will add two points...

First I am proud to defend the religious institution of marriage. Not from gays or politics or anything -- but everything that attacks it. 99.9% of the attacks come from idiots who enter into it for all the wrong reasons. Marriage is a religious institution where a man and woman are joined by God. Not a partnership. Anybody can have a partnership. Or a friendship. Business relationship. Spiritual bond. Love. Affection. Kinship. Lust. Wavelength groove. Omertà. Oath. Marriage was defined by the joining of the two halves of physical humanity. And it still is, despite what people say or pretend or legislate.  That change needs to happen for real.

The second point is, you don't have to buy into any of that. No one was forcing you to. However now, people will be forced to do things that they don't want to. For example -- if you don't like golf, you don't play it. But if you don't like golf, legislate it changed to be more like football, then force others to do the same and make allowances to retro fit the game of golf and golf courses to now include field goal posts, refs, and end zones -- lest face a lawsuit of horrendous social consequences -- Well then you're a dink. And you deserve to be called a dink.

That's why the smart Justices feel so bad about what this has done. This is not progress. In fact, they warned, much progress may even be lost. We love all of you. And this isn't Love. This is fascism.  I'm sorry, Love did not win. It's just not that easy. And I know nobody wants to hear that. I'm sorry.

 

 Ok then. Prey tell how this could have been done the right way.

 Marriage isn't about religion-  atheists wed. It isn't about procreation - many unions never produce children. At the beginning, at least, it is about love. Gay people have as much right to make lives together legally as anyone else. And trust me, many will exercise their rights to divorce.

[Peter Reum]

Quite simply, LBGT people were unable to access important benefits that M//F marriages had,such as insurance and helping make decisions about partners who are terminally or critically ill. The lack of access to insurance alone made LBGT couples earn 20 percent less disposable income  than M/F marriages. LBGT couples experienced 45% higher discrimination than M/F couples in employment. We all know about the higher rate of suicide by LBGT youth primarily due to bullying and ridicule...I love that Wirestone,who has adopted children,has taken orphans and given them a home.
The number of children who don't have parents is sky high. In several states, LBGT couples can't adopt, even if they want to. For all these reasons and others too numerous to mention , I applaud the decision of the Supreme Court. This is a civil rights decision,pure and simple. The same right wing BS was spouted when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1988. Now there are curb cuts in most municipal intersections, and no one thinks twice about it. That will be what happens with the Supreme Court rulings on the ACA, the Fair Housing Act, and LBGT marriage 25 years on, when the Millenials take over. Flush Rimbaugh has lost his show in 65% of media markets. That brand of what's mine is mine, and what is yours is mine too with respect to civil rights is not okay with any moderate or progressive American.

[Mike's Beard]

The biggest issue now is who gets to change who's surname?

[Jim V.]

Congratulations to the United States! Now it's Australia's turn....

Congratulate 5 lawyers.

And I'm sure you congratulated the five "lawyers" who decided that they should give the 2000 presidential election to Dubya despite the fact that there were still votes being counted?

Oh wait, the five that did that are surely patriots who take their responsibility to the constitution oh-so-seriously. Right?

[drbeachboy]

Congratulations to the United States! Now it's Australia's turn....

Congratulate 5 lawyers.

And I'm sure you congratulated the five "lawyers" who decided that they should give the 2000 presidential election to Dubya despite the fact that there were still votes being counted?

Oh wait, the five that did that are surely patriots who take their responsibility to the constitution oh-so-seriously. Right?

If Florida didn't use 19th Century voting machines in the 21st Century we wouldn't have had to count all those hanging chads to begin with. Just saying...

[sea of tunes]

I wasn't aware this could happen in Ohio. I live in Columbus, OH, which is generally considered to be a gay friendly city.

I also live in Columbus.  Go Bucks!

[Moon Dawg]

I wasn't aware this could happen in Ohio. I live in Columbus, OH, which is generally considered to be a gay friendly city.

I also live in Columbus.  Go Bucks!

  That's right! Go Bucks!