Former President Bill Clinton was honored over the weekend with the Advocate for Change award at the annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, Calif.
The former president signed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act into law and oversaw the implementation of the military's discriminatory “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” ban on gays in the military but has become a proponent of LGBT rights since his time in office ended.
Clinton credited daughter Chelsea for his change of heart during his acceptance speech.
Tensions were high at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday as justices hammered attorneys with tough questioning on prospective rulings on the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 — with a particular emphasis on inquiries about standing.
Within moments of the opening of the oral arguments in the Prop 8 case, known as Hollingsworth v. Perry, justices interrupted both Charles Cooper, who is arguing in favor of Prop 8, and Ted Olson, who is arguing against it on behalf of two plaintiff gay couples, with questions about standing.
Anti-gay groups, such as ProtectMarriage.com, are defending Prop 8 in court because California officials — Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris — have elected not to do so. Whether these groups have standing to defend the law is a question posed by the court.
The U.S. Supreme Court hears two landmark cases this month that deal with the question of marriage for same-sex couples.
No one can know how the court will rule, but legal experts have outlined several possible scenarios. Here are some of the most likely and what they would mean both nationally and here in Georgia.
The United States Supreme Court was expected to decide today whether to hear any of several legal challenges involving same-sex marriage, but the court took no action in these cases, the website SCOTUSBlog reports.
The Supreme Court, after taking most of the day to prepare new orders, took no action Friday on the ten same-sex marriage cases now on the docket.
The court could issue a decision on whether to hear the cases as early as Monday, Dec. 3 but multiple media outlets have reported that Dec. 7 is more likely.
Stay tuned for more information.
The American Foundation for Equal Rights has announced that the U.S. Supreme Court will consider reviewing its constitutional challenge to California's Prop 8 on Nov. 20.
According to AFER:
Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that ended same-sex marriage in California, is unconstitutional, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Feb. 7.
“We consider whether that amendment violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the ruling states. “We conclude that it does.”
The ruling goes on to note that, contrary to the arguments of Proposition 8 defenders, the measure “could not have been enacted to advance California’s interests in childrearing or responsible procreation, for it had no effect on the rights of same-sex couples to raise children or on the procreative practices of other couples.”
Brian Brown, the executive director for the National Organization for Marriage, wasted no time in issuing a call-to-arms to his organization's supporters this afternoon.
Moments after today's landmark ruling made by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found California's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, NOM had already sent out a fundraising plea previewing the next round of the ongoing legal battle.
“Moments ago, the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit handed down a sweeping ruling striking down California’s Proposition 8 and — for the first time ever — finding a ‘right’ to same-sex marriage in the United States Constitution!” Brown said in the email.
“A Supreme Court victory would preserve the marriage laws of 44 states, denying same-sex marriage radicals in their campaign to force gay marriage on the entire nation in one fell swoop. But if we lose at the Supreme Court, marriage will be jeopardized not just in California, but in all 50 states,” Brown continued.