Anti-gay organizations respond to SCOTUS marriage equality rulings

Hate group leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council

“By striking down the federal definition of marriage in DOMA, the Court is asserting that Congress does not have the power to define the meaning of words in statutes Congress itself has enacted. This is absurd. The Defense of Marriage Act imposes no uniform definition of marriage upon the individual states. However, the states should not be able to impose varying definitions of marriage upon the federal government. The ruling that the federal government must recognize same-sex ‘marriages’ in states that recognize them raises as many questions as it answers. For example, what is the status of such couples under federal law if they move to another state that does not recognize their ‘marriage?’ This decision throws open the doors for whole new rounds of litigation.

“We are disturbed that the court refused to acknowledge that the proponents of Proposition 8 have standing to defend Proposition 8. This distorts the balance of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The Court’s decision allows the executive branch to effectively veto any duly enacted law, simply by refusing to defend it against a constitutional challenge. Ironically, by refusing to defend the law, California’s executive branch has also denied the nation any definitive ruling on the constitutionality of defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. – Hate group leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council

Brian Brown of the ironically-named National Organization for Marriage

“In a miscarriage of justice the US Supreme Court has refused to consider the decision of a single federal court judge to overturn the perfectly legal action of over 7 million California voters who passed Proposition 8 defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Supreme Court’s holding that proponents of an initiative had no legal right to appeal ignores California law and rewards corrupt politicians for abandoning their duty to defend traditional marriage laws.

“It’s imperative that Congress continue to preserve the right of states to protect true marriage and refuse to recognize faux marriages performed in other states or countries. There is a stench coming from this case that has now stained the Supreme Court. They’ve allowed corrupt politicians and judges to betray the voters, rewarding them for their betrayal. It’s an illegitimate decision. We and millions of other Americans will refuse to accept this rogue decision rewarding corruption.

“We also urge Congress to reject the inevitable attempts to dismantle remaining elements of DOMA, including the right of states to refuse to recognize so-called gay marriages performed elsewhere. The vast majority of American voters have expressed with their votes their desire to maintain marriage as the union of one man and one woman. That decision should be respected and left undisturbed.” – Hate group leader Brian Brown of the National Organization for (some) Marriage

President Obama reacts to SCOTUS decisions on marriage equality

President Barack Obama reacted Wednesday to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and invalidating Proposition 8 by releasing the following statement:

I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.

So we welcome today’s decision, and I’ve directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.

On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom is also vital. How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions. Nothing about this decision – which applies only to civil marriages – changes that.

The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.

National Organization for Marriage launches it’s own avatar

NOM has been developing it’s own avatar to try to compete with the iconic “Equality” symbol from the Human Rights Campaign. You may recall I posted about a meeting describing the development of the new avatar.

They launched it today, urging it’s followers to post for tomorrow’s SCOTUS decision:

I love Zack Ford of ThinkProgress’ response:

NOM is optimistic – “We’re going to win”

Hate group leader Brian Brown is already claiming victory in the SCOTUS marriage equality decisions due out tomorrow morning, according to the National Review:

“We’re thinking we’re going to win,” he told me. “And I think that even the other side realizes that they’re not going to get the decision they want.” He added that he thinks pro-same-sex marriage advocates got the timing all wrong, and that tomorrow will bring a huge victory for supporters of traditional marriage.

“This is like the life movement winning Roe,” he said. “This is the Roe decision for marriage. This is not trying to nibble at the edges; this is trying to claim that there is a Constitutional right to redefine marriage. If they lose that, then the highest court in the land will be saying one of their key arguments is wrong, and that will have a big, big, big impact.”

Marriage Equality “Decision Day” rallies all over the USA

At United For Marriage, they have compiled an interactive map showing locations for “Decision Day” rallies regarding the SCOTUS marriage equality decisions to be released tomorrow morning.

In Las Vegas, folks will be meeting at the new Gay & Lesbian Community Center at 5pm.

Click here for Las Vegas details.

Click here to check for a rally near you.

(via JMG)