Historic Day in the US

[Yoru Shakou]

Today I am proud to say that the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) in a 5-4 decision have made it clear that Same Sex Marriage is now legal in all 50 States.​

​

​

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were," Kennedy wrote. "As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death."​

​

~ Justice Anthony Kennedy

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Not pro, not against. Not my fight. I'm not gay nor do I really have any gay or lesbian friends. But I believe everyone has a right to be happy. If this will make these couples happy, then cool beans. Especially if it shuts up the media for a bit.

 

[Jynnan Tonnyx]

Not to say people didn't just run to other states or Canada to get married...

Good thing that was finally solved, though.

 

[Ilias Nytrau]

This makes me so, so, so happy for many of my friends. There may be tears later!

 

[Darth Carolus]

Everyone has the right to be happy, but then they choose to get married.

 

[Jynnan Tonnyx]

[member="Darth Carolus"]

lawl

 

[Felicity Mason]

EEE!!!!! I'm going to have SO many weddings to go to This year! I just had three friends get engaged today because now they can get married in their home state! I could not be more happy if I tried!
<3

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Awesome.

About time.

 

[Allyson Locke]

I feel like a full American now

 

[Tiro Vanek]

Well, it's about time.

Took them long enough.

 

[Macharius Solaire]

Hooray for America. You've taken one step forward in the march of progress of equality, and whatever other words apply here. We don't get to see you make a big step often, since your more of a shuffler in slippers. But you did it today, and I'm proud of you.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Today I am proud to say that the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) in a 5-4 decision have made it clear that Same Sex Marriage is now legal in all 50 States.​

As a matter of curiosity, why are you 'proud,' exactly? As a matter of full disclosure, I'm entirely in favor of marriage equality, but I find nothing to celebrate in this decision except for the end result. It is an opinion that is embarrassingly lacking in coherent legal reasoning (see also King v. Burwell). As someone who believes in marriage equality, great! As a student of law and jurisprudence, oh my god what were they thinking? The majority opinion relies upon a legal theory no more sound than the old, tried-and-tested Justice Kennedy Wants to Be Invited to The Right Kind of Cocktail Parties theory (which, incidentally, I never read about in law school). It reads like the con law exam of a C- first year law student.

I understand why people are happy, I guess? But I'm of the opinion that there's a right way to achieve these types of things and a wrong way, and this opinion of the court is the latter. Then again, with the legal establishment as progressive as it is, I suspect this (and King) will not get much scrutiny because they came to the Correct Conclusion, and therefore do not require anything so prosaic or pedestrian as precedent, rules of statutory interpretation, or legal reasoning (see also Roe v. Wade, which was at the time the opinion was handed down very nearly universally decried as an opinion entirely lacking in any kind of legal basis, and is now enshrined as the next Brown v. Board). As an enthusiast of a constitutional democratic republic, it's hard to be excited about what is a Good Thing™ (marriage equality) when the way it was done was basically without basis in the Constitution. It makes the court look cheap and undignified (mostly because over the last few sessions, the court has shown itself to be cheap and undignified).

TL;DR: Yay gay marriage! Boo embarrassing mental backflips the court put itself through to come to the Correct Conclusion!

 

[Rexus Drath]

WOOOOOOOOOO!!!! EQUALITY!!!! PARTY HEARTY!!!

 

[Yoru Shakou]

I understand where you're coming from. For the sake of the thread and today though, let's just be happy and worry about the whole little tedious things tomorrow when everyone will starting throwing out their red challenge flags. ​

​

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"]​

 

[Natasi Fortan]

I understand where you're coming from. For the sake of the thread and today though, let's just be happy and worry about the whole little tedious things tomorrow when everyone will starting throwing out their red challenge flags. ​

​

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"]​

"The whole little tedious things" -- oh brother. I guess I mistook this thread for a discussion rather than a place for everyone to file through and make an appearance being on the right side of things. Since I'm already on record as in favor of marriage quality, I'll just see myself out...

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

At first I was surprised when the UK beat us to it, now I am positively embarrassed that the USA has gotten in before us.

Well, it’s a good outcome, whatever the strange courses needed to bring it here. I can only hope that we soon join the US in allowing all people to have a 50% divorce rate….

 

[Azrael Asura]

We were so close to finding out what state was the most homophobic/most intolerant of gays/every other way you can say it...
...
Ah, who am I kidding, this was awesome! Though I have to agree we didn't exactly go about this in the best way, at the moment I'm just glad my friends can get married in any state now.
Maybe I will too, someday. Though my state already had marriage equality. Because Seattle. And we're to busy trying to contain the hipsters to be angry about people who love each other getting married. Okay, so it's mostly because of the hipster problem.

 

[Evad]

If only we could go back in time as easily as we can scroll down on a facebook wall to venture into the decades prior this one. In this vein of thought, I wonder how many times this 'progression' of marriage 'rights' had been changed, fought over, discussed, debated - and otherwise communicated. I'm certain of only two things had facebook been around, there might have been even more illiterate people in the world, and we may see a very repetitive tone to those discussions as this one.

My point in all of this is that marriage was supposed to be a civil liberty. The moment any country started passing laws to license the union - it became a right. Of course we all know what happens when something becomes a right - everyone and their brother want equal footing - so the long and laborious act of a legal system getting involved where the had no business in the first place, starts their glacial ponderous engine up. A civil liberty however would allow for any two people to get married, based on the judgement call of those preforming the ceremony - and there are plenty of them out there.

Also, here's a little monkey wrench no one is really talking about just yet - it's still their preference. As long as the officiator is not taking money prior to deciding if they want to officiate, it's their choice. Their 'right' to refuse or accept any offer based on their own preferences. It may be legal to do it in all states, but that doesn't change the 'right' that officiators have to deny or accept the request. They just have the legal ability to, that is all.

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

*joins the toast*

It is about the right to choose who you love. hear hear!