Prop 8 Overturned by Federal Court

According to MSNBC news services:

SAN FRANCISCO — In a major victory for gay rights advocates, a federal judge on Wednesday struck down a California ban on same-sex marriage.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the voter-approved ban, known as Proposition 8, violates due process and equal-protection rights under the U.S. Constitution.

“Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis on which to deny rights to gay men and lesbians. The evidence shows conclusively that Proposition 8 enacts, without reason, a private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples,” Walker wrote.

The judge added in the conclusion of the 136-page opinion: “Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license.”

His ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by two same-sex couples and the city of San Francisco seeking to invalidate the law as an unlawful infringement on the civil rights of gay men and lesbians. The landmark case is expected to be appealed and could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is really great news – baby steps, but definitely steps. One day our marriage might actually be recognized in our own country and home state.

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Sex and The City 2 – more thoughts

Garland Grey does an interesting dissection of the problems with Sex and The City 2. The trouble is, if they’d fixed the problems he described, I don’t know that the movie would be watchable. I don’t know that I’d go see it.

And I’m really glad he didn’t attend my wedding, because I’d hate to see what he’d say about it.

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  • A very long article trashing social networking and how it's "affecting the nature of friendship." I disagree completely, but don't really have time right now to write out all the reasons why he's wrong.
  • "It can happen at the most inopportune moment: in the middle of a delightful conversation at a party, at a restaurant with new friends, while you’re lunching with co-workers, during a family meal. Someone makes a wild generalization about women who get abortions, and you’re shocked. You try to remain civilized but it’s difficult. To make matters worse, you’re not sure how to reply."
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My political daily chuckle

I got a fun little email blast from the DCCC regarding the GOP “Back in the Kitchen” comments they made a few days about about Betty Sutton (I linked to a news story about it here):

Ohio GOP: Put Her Back in the Kitchen
You won’t believe this one. Every once in a while, Republicans say something that makes you wonder what century they’re living in. Or in this case, twice in a while. Days ago, a Republican operative in Ohio actually said take Democratic Congresswoman Betty Sutton “out of the House and put her back in the kitchen.” This comes not long after House Republicans said that Speaker Pelosi should be “put in her place.” GOP Sexism like this needs our strong response.

While I laud their efforts, I have to wonder where these guys were during the 2008 election cycle, when the Democratic party was busy eating it’s own by throwing out remarks like these (and stuff far, far worse) at Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. You know, from inside the supposedly progressive, feminist party.

Pot, I’d like to introduce you to kettle. Have fun talking, boys!

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