gay marriage

READER'S EDITORIAL: WHY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES SHOULD FOLLOW THE LAW, NOT THEIR PRIVATE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

 

By June Wise

September 3, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) -- A Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis, has stirred controversy for defying a federal court order to issue marriage licenses after the Supreme Court declared marriage a constitutional right for same-sex couples. She claims giving gay couples licenses to wed would violate her religious beliefs, yet she has refused to resign. Today, a  judge  ordered her jailed for contempt of court.

If government  workers  could refuse to  serve the public  anytime  a law conflicts with their private religious views, that would be a dangerous and trouble-prone path.  Divorce, birth control, war, and blood transfusions are all prohibited in some religions.  Some faiths ban immodest dress, adultery, consumption of caffeine or alcohol, musical instruments, celebrating birthdays, serving certain foods, and seeking psychiatric care.  

Should public employees in jobs with responsibilities for such matters be able to refuse to follow laws governing all of these issues and more?


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GAY MARRIAGE LEGAL NATIONWIDE: SUPREME COURT

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: The Moderate Voice

June 26, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – In a historic ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court majority has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, protected under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

President Barack Obama likened the decision to “justice that arrives like a thunderbolt,” declaring, “When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.”

The high court, ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, was asked to decide two issues: can individual states ban  same-sex marriage and must all states honor same-sex marriages for weddings performed in other states. 

Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Republican appointed by Ronald Reagan, wrote the majority opinion in the 5-4 opinion, joined by the court’s four liberal justices.


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SUPREME COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN CASE THAT COULD LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2015 (Washington D.C.)  - The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a landmark case this week, Obergefell v. Hodges, that is expected to decide whether same-sex couples should have a constitutional right to marriage in all 50 states.


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SUPREME COURT ALLOWS GAY MARRIAGES TO COMMENCE

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – Wedding bells will soon be ringing for same-sex couples in many more states, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied hearings on all appeals pending.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney James Esseks called the decision “a watershed moment for the entire country.”

The high court refused to hear appeals of same-sex marriage rulings in five states where appellate courts ruled that bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional.  However,the decision is expected to expand same-sex marriage rights to a total of 11 states that are all under jurisdiction of the federal appeals courts that ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.  Add those to the number of states where same-sex marriage already is legal, including California, and the U.S. will likely soon have 30 states—a majority--where same-sex marriage is protected.


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GAY MARRIAGES RESUME IN CA; OPPONENTS FILE LAST-DITCH APPEAL

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Following in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision dismissing the Proposition 8 case, the Ninth District Court of Appeal yesterday lifted its stay on same-sex marriages.  For the first time in five years, gay couples can now legally wed once again in California.

Attorney General Kamala Harris performed the first such marriage after the ban was lifted, uniting the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought against Prop 8, Kristin Perry and her fiancée, Sandy Stier.  The wedding took place at San Francisco’s City Hall.


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POLITICAL REFLECTIONS COLUMN: MARRYING YOUR GAY FIRST COUSIN?

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

April 7, 2013 (San Diego)--On March 26 and 27, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two major cases over whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

On March 26 they heard arguments on whether Proposition 8, which California voters passed in November 2008 to short-circuit the ruling of the California Supreme Court that the state’s constitution did not allow it to deny marriage to same-sex couples, is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The next day they heard the case of Edith Windsor, who legally married her long-term partner, Thea Spyer, in Canada in 2007, then got socked with a federal estate tax bill of $367,000 because the federal government didn’t recognize her marriage under the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DoMA) passed by Congress in 1996.

The two cases rest on somewhat different legal issues, and it’s quite possible the court could throw out Proposition 8 and uphold DoMA — or vice versa — but the underlying issues are the same.


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U.S. SUPREME COURT RELEASES AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL ARGUMENT IN PROPOSITION 8 CASE

 

Audio and Transcript of the Historic Argument Available HERE

March 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.)-- Today, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  The Court is considering whether Proposition 8 violates the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.   

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), sole sponsor of the Perry case, has posted the full audio and transcript of the historic argument at: www.afer.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-marriage-equality-at-the-supreme-court/

Califiornian voters legalized same-sex marriage, but later overturned the rights of gay and lesbian couples to wed with Prop 8's passage in November 2008.  A federal district court ruled that Prop 8 was unconstitutional, a ruling later upheld by the federal court of appeals.  On December 7, 2012, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Perry to review the case. The appeal was filed by Dennis Hollingsworth, former State Senator from San Diego and Riverside counties.


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U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR 2 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASES, INCLUDING PROP 8 APPEAL FILED BY EX-SAN DIEGO SENATOR HOLLINGSWORTH

San Diego’s County Clerk “ready to respond immediately”; marriages could resume soon if court finds Prop 8 challengers lack legal standing to appeal

By Miriam Raftery

December 7, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it will review  two cases involving same-sex marriage, including an appeal by petitioners seeking to overturn Proposition 8 including former San Diego State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth. 

California voters initially voted to legalize same-sex marriage, but later passed Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriages. California’s Attorney General refused to appeal Prop 8 to the Supreme Court after the 9th circuit court of appeal found it unconstitutional. Thus other petitioners appealed including Hollingsworth, leader of the group Protect Marriage, asking the high court to strike down the 9th court ruling.


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U.S. COURT OF APPEALS RULES DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

May 31, 2012 (Boston) – Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional.  

Passed by Congress in 1996, DOMA declared that a marriage is between a man and a woman, nullifying marriages of gay and lesbian couples for purposes of federal law.  

Judge Michael Boudin, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush, authored the unanimous decision. He was joined by Judge Sandra Lynch,an appointee of President Bill Clinton, and Chief Judge Juan Torruella, a Ronald Reagan appointee. 


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STEINER BRINGS A “NEW APPROACH” TO THE RACE FOR 77TH ASSEMBLY

 
By Janis Mork
 
May 30, 2012 (San Diego)- One of four candidates will succeed Nathan Fletcher when he leaves the Assembly. Republican Dustin Steiner is one candidate who hopes to represent the newly redrawn 77th District, which includes inland communities such as Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo, as well as coastal communities in Del Mar. View a map of the district: http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/voters/Eng/maps/AssemblySDCountyMap.jpg

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OBAMA SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE DRAWS REACTIONS FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEADERS

 

Mayoral candidates praise president's action

May 13, 2012 (San Diego)—Declarations by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in support of gay marriage last week have sparked reactions around the world.


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PROP 8 RULING BY FEDERAL COURT MAY BE A LASTING VICTORY FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES

By Serena Scaglione

February 9, 2012 (San Diego)--Tuesday’s decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional may withstand a challenge to the nation’s highest court, due to the tight legal grounds surrounding the issue that are specific to California. 


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

 

 
February 9, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media.  This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:    
 
 LOCAL

 

  • Grossmont High School teachers vote to explore becoming charter (La Mesa Patch)
  • Fire Chief Augie Ghio chats about state of San Miguel Fire District following release of RFPs (La Mesa Patch)
  • City Council okays livestock for city residents (10 News)
  • A Guide to Understanding the Sweetwater Scandal (Voice of San Diego)
  • San Onofre shutdown costing up to $1 million a day (KPBS)
  • Secrets of the Centennial: How suffrage put progressive town on path to self determination (La Mesa Patch)
  • Light on cockroaches (Valley Roadrunner editorial on Supervisors’ recent actions)
  • Bob Filner to La Mesa: You have a stake in who is mayor of San Diego(La Mesa Patch)
  • Nuke inspections focus on unusual wear on tubes (Sacramento Bee) 
STATE  
  • Federal appeals court: CA gay marriage ban is unconstitutional (AP)
  • Governor signs bill that allows internal borrowing (Sacramento Bee) 
Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories. 

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CA SUPREME COURT TO INTERVENE IN PROP 8 CASE

February 18, 2011 (Sacramento) -- Do opponents of gay marriage have legal standing to challenge a decision overturning Proposition 8 in federal court after the state’s two top officers opted not to defend the measure? California’s Supreme Court has announced it will take up that legal question.


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WEDDING BELLS SILENCED: JUDGE BLOCKS SAME-SEX MARRIAGES UNTIL DECEMBER

 

East County News Service

August 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday announced an indefinite stay on same-sex marriages. The 9th Circuit also expedited scheduling to hear the appeal of Judge Walker’s decision to overturn Prop 8.

 


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JUDGE RULES SAME-SEX MARRIAGES MAY BEGIN WEDNESDAY UNLESS HIGHER COURT INTERVENES

 East County News Service

August 13, 2010 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker lifted a stay on gay marriages yesterday, after overturning Proposition 8 as unconstitutional last week. The judge declined to implement his order immediately, however, giving opponents time to appeal to a higher court. If the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does not intervene, same-sex marriages may occur starting Wednesday.
 

San Diego’s Assessor/Recorder/Clerk’s office is accepting reservations for ceremonies to be performing as early as Wednesday, provided the ruling holds.


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FEDERAL JUDGE OVERTURNS PROP 8

 

Judge to hear arguments today on whether to issue a stay extending ban on gay marriages pending appeal; weddings could resume as early as tomorrow


East County News Network

August 4, 2010 (San Diego) – Over a thousand people celebrated in the streets of San Diego today after a federal judge declared Proposition 8, the initiative banning gay marriage, to be unconstitutional.  Same-sex marriages could resume as early as tomorrow--or not at all, depending on a judge's ruling on a request for a stay to extend the ban pending appeal.

 

"Yesterday when the ruiling came out, our phones starting ringing off the hook," San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Dave Butler told East County Magazine.  Then word got out that the judge had issued a temporary stay until he hears arguments today and issues a decision on the stay.  "The phones have been quiet today," Butler said. 


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NEWSOM, CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, SHARES VIEWS ON KEY ISSUES WITH ECM

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

 

July 18, 2009 (San Diego) – San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Democratic candidate for Governor, spoke briefly with East County Magazine after his address at the Stand Down event to help homeless veterans yesterday. We asked his views on three pressing issues impacting residents in our region.

 


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EAST COUNTY COMMUNITY LEADERS REACT TO CA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDING PROP 8; NEW LAWSUIT FILED IN FEDERAL COURT BY LAWYERS IN BUSH V. GORE SEEKS TO REINSTATE GAY MARRIAGE

By Miriam Raftery May 27, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) – The California Supreme Court ruled this week to uphold Proposition 8 banning gay marriage, though the court also held that gay marriages that occurred before Prop 8’s passage will remain valid. (View the high court opinion here: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/). In East County and across the state, leaders on both sides of the controversial issue weighed in with their views.


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