Tag: same-sex marriage

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State Of Alabama Tries To ‘Cheap Out’ On Paying Marriage Equality Lawyers

In most legal matters, the losing side of a litigated case often pays the fees of the winning side’s lawyers.

Now that same-sex marriage is the law of the land, the law offices who worked for years on behalf of couples seeking equal marriage rights are sending in the bill to those states who chose to draw out the litigation.

But in Alabama, Attorney General Luther Strange is trying to cheap out on paying the winning lawyers, saying they “didn’t reinvent the wheel.”

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said in an Oct. 21 filing in the U.S. District Court of Mobile that the nearly $200,000 in reimbursable costs claimed by the two attorneys is “excessive in light of the work performed and the results achieved.”

“The fee they claim is entirely excessive and should be cut dramatically,” the filing states.

Instead, Mobile attorneys Christine Hernandez and David Kennedy – who sought a $275 hourly rate – should be reimbursed about $50,000, according to the filing. The state’s figure factors in a $150 hourly fee that it claims is more “reasonable” for lesser experienced attorneys working in a smaller practice.

According to the filing, the lower hourly rate is justified because the two attorneys “did not have to reinvent the wheel.”

“The legal issues presented here may have been novel to this state, but they were not novel to the law, and Alabama’s marriage laws presented no unique issues that were not present in the marriage laws of other states,” the filing states.

Subsequently, Kennedy wrote a scathing response that puts the burden of some of the costs on Strange’s office.

“After causing the litigation to be lengthier, fiercer, and ultimately more costly than necessary, Strange now asserts that Plaintiff’s counsel spent too much time working on this case,” Kennedy wrote in an Oct. 28 filing. “In other words, the losing party is criticizing how much time it took undersigned counsel to redress the unconstitutional discrimination against the Plaintiffs.”

Hernandez and Kennedy represented lesbian couple Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand in their winding and politically fraught adoption battle.

“The State and Strange should not be rewarded by reducing the reasonable fees claimed by the Plaintiffs because the State of Alabama not only caused the litigation, but it also caused the amount of time, money and effort expended by the Plaintiff’s counsel.”

My opinion is this is anti-gay sour grapes on the part of Alabama and Attorney General Strange. Especially when you consider that Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis’ office billed almost $345,000 back to Mobile County on the issue.

The issue will be decided by U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade.

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Pat Robertson: God Will Wreck U.S. Financial Markets Over Marriage Equality

I can’t believe I’m quoting former Vice President Dan Quayle, but as he once misquoted the slogan of the United Negro College Fund: “It’s a terrible thing to lose your mind.”

That would seem to be appropriate here after watching Pat Robertson blather on about God’s wrath against financial entities over same-sex marriage today.

The 700 Club’s resident bigot flipped out saying that the United States is becoming Sodom. robertson predicted God will cause financial ruin in America over marriage equality and equal rights for transgender folks.

Via Right Wing Watch:

“Now it’s a constitutional right for sodomites to marry each other,” he lamented, warning that “the wrath of God is revealed against this stuff.” He explained: “I don’t want the wrath of God to hit this country, it’s a great country, I’d like to see America continue strong, but this is one way of weakening it. First of all, we’re going to have this financial collapse. We’re setting up for a massive financial collapse and I think if God is going to hurt this country that’s probably the way he’d do it.”

Can you believe this man was once considered to be a “moral leader?”

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Pat Robertson Doesn’t Understand How The Supreme Court Works

Wackjob Pat Robertson told viewers of The 700 Club that this summer’s ruling from SCOTUS on same-sex marriage only affects a few couples who were involved in the actual case itself, and that unless Congress passes a law making marriage equality legal, it’s not really the law of the land.

Via Right Wing Watch:

“In the legal system, party A sues party B over marriage, ‘I want to get married to them,’ and the court says, ‘Okay, you can get married,’” he explained. “That doesn’t mean that I’ve got to get married to homosexuals, it doesn’t mean that you have to nor does it mean that it’s the law of the land. Congress didn’t pass any law. Your state legislature didn’t pass a law. So you’re not under anything, it’s a decision of the court having to do with a couple of people. Now they would like to make it bigger than that but, in terms of the Constitution, it isn’t.”

Trust and believe, the Obergefell ruling struck down all the anti-gay marriage laws in the U.S. That IS how the law works here.

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US Marine Marries Boyfriend From Viral “Homecoming Kiss” Fame

Dalan Wells (L) and Marine Sergeant Brandon Morgan (R)

You may remember this photo above from February 2012, when Marine Sergeant Brandon Morgan was welcomed home by his boyfriend of four years, Dalan Wells, at a Marines Corp Base in Hawaii.

Seeing Wells, Morgan jumped into his boyfriend’s arms and the moment was captured for the world to see.

Two days later, after the shot was posted to a Facebook page for Gay Marines, the pic had over 18,000 “Likes,” and the couple was famous.

Many felt the pic represented the progress gays and lesbians have made in the military as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” had ended just six months before.

A year after the photo took the internet by storm, Morgan proposed to Wells.

The happy story comes full circle as we get the news that hunky and inspiring couple got married last weekend in Honeoye Falls, New York.

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HIllary Clinton: Kim Davis Deserved What Happened To Her Because She Broke The Law

Photo: Reuters

At a campaign appearance at Cornell College in Iowa, Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton was asked “What would you do about somebody if they were to do something like what Kim Davis did recently?”

The question, of course, was in reference to the rogue Kentucky County Clerk who refused to follow the recent SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

This was her answer:

“I think what happened to Kim Davis was the right thing,” Clinton replied. “She violated the law, and therefore she was arrested. And when she was released, she had to agree that she would not stand in the way of doing her public duty under the Constitution.

“So I actually think that she was treated as she should have been treated,” Clinton continued, before affirming that “people are totally entitled to their personal, private beliefs.”

But that entitlement doesn’t give anyone, especially elected public officials with a taxpayer-funded salary, the right to disobey the law of the land, Clinton added.

“When you take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, that is your job,” she said. “Whether you agree with a decision or not, we have the rule of law. You have to follow the law. … You either enforce the law or you resign from your public position. That is exactly what should have happened.”

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Jim Obergefell Pens Open Letter To Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis

Jim Obergefell, whose lawsuit led to the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, has penned an open letter to Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis regarding her opposition to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in her county.

Via the ACLU:

“As you may know, when you fall in love with someone, you hand your heart and soul over to them. Anyone who has committed to sharing their life with another human and forming a family unit knows that it is the biggest and most rewarding adventure you will ever take. You know that all of the laughs and all of the tears won’t fall on the echo of an empty room, but will instead be received in the warm embrace of someone who has pledged to see you at your best and love you at your worst. You know that person is there to help pick you up on those days when the odds are stacked against you. You know that you never have to do the dishes alone.

“When I met John, I had no idea that I would spend the next two decades building a life with the man who would one day inspire me to demand our right to be recognized by our country. I earned the right to lawfully call him my husband, just as you have a right to call your husband such. Love transcends gender. You’re imposing the same indignities on couples in Rowan County that John and I suffered when Ohio would not legally recognize us as a married couple. Thankfully, the law is now changed so that nobody should ever have to experience the injustice that John and I endured. No one is above the law, Kim, not even you.

“I joined the fight to have our love treated equally precisely because our love is equal. The love that any family shares is no more or less worthy than that of any other, and it’s not fair for you, or anyone, to judge. It’s your job to simply do your job. Issuing a marriage license at work is not a personal endorsement of my marriage any more than recording a deed is an endorsement of my home ownership.

“It’s simply following the rules in this civil society in which we’ve all agreed to be members. What truly matters is the kindness and compassion we share with our families and with those around us. Love makes a family. And as of June 2015 the federal government agrees. I did not fight for my right to call John my husband in vain. I stand today in his memory and proudly declare him my legally wedded spouse. Do not stand in the way of others seeking their legal right to have their love recognized. Sincerely, Jim Obergefell for ACLU Action.”

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President Obama Mocks GOP Candidates For Lagging On LGBT Rights

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Speaking at the National Democratic Committee’s LGBT Gala last night in New York City, President Obama mocked some of the current crop of Republican White House candidates who seem to be stuck in the past when it comes to same-sex marriage:

“One of their leading candidates argued that going to prison turns you gay,” he said, referring to neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has recently surged in the polls. “Well, you think I’m — I shouldn’t go into this? No, I mean, I’m just stating the facts.”

“Another candidate boasts that he introduced an amendment to end nationwide marriage equality — which isn’t even an accomplishment at all. A third says Americans should just disobey the Supreme Court’s ruling entirely. I’m sure he loves the Constitution — except for Article III. And maybe the Equal Protection Amendment. And the 14th Amendment, generally.”

The President made a point of listing several advances in LGBT rights since he took office such as overturning the military’s ban on openly gay soldiers, his executive order banning workplace discrimination against LGBT individuals employed by the federal government and federal contractors, as well as this year’s Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

Obama also chided the GOP world for their chants of “taking their country back.” Obama addressed the idea of “taking the country back” to 2008 before he was elected president:

“In their world, everything was terrific back in 2008 when we were in the midst of a spiral into the worst financial crisis and economic crisis since the Great Depression, when unemployment and uninsured rates were rising and when our economy was shedding jobs each month, and we were mired in two wars, hopelessly addicted to foreign oil, and bin Laden was still at large,” Obama said.

“Those were the Golden Years, apparently. And then, I came in and messed it all up.”

Introducing the President for the evening was lead plaintiff in the SCOTUS same-sex marriage case, Jim Obergefell.

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Hillary Clinton: I’m Thrilled Marriage Equality Is The Law Of The Land

Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton, speaking to Chuck Todd on NBC News’’ “MEET THE PRESS” addressed her evolution on marriage equality:

“On same-sex marriage, like a lot of people, including our president, I did evolve. And I was not raised to even imagine this.

And I’m thrilled now that it is the law of the land. And I have a lot of good friends who are now able to be married because of the changes we’ve made legally and constitutionally.”

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Stephen Colbert’s “All-Inclusive Wedding Cake Toppers”


 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert went after the still-lingering crazies who think they will turn back the clock on marriage equality last night.

“Folks, gay marriage is still a controversial issue in this country, despite the fact that it’s not…”

“I think everyone should love whoever they want.

 “So, I was miffed when Kentucky County Clerk and forehead magnate Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But I also felt bad for her when that judge sent her to jail and even worse when she was sentenced to send an afternoon with Mike Huckabee. It’s cruel and unusual,” he joked.

 With that in mind, Colbert introduced his own line of “all-inclusive wedding cake toppers.”

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Kim Davis Sidesteps Questions Whether Other Religions Deserve The Same Exemptions She Demands

Kim “I love all people” Davis

Professional martyr and occasional County Clerk Kim Davis sat down with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly to talk about her ongoing refusal to follow the law when it comes to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

You’ll note that when directly asked if other non-Christian faiths should receive similar exemptions to the one she’s demanding, she sidesteps the question: “You have millions of Christians who object to this whole same-sex marriage issue. Are their rights invalid? Are their rights not worth anything?”

She also mentions that there’s “no way” she would issue a marriage license to her own child if they were to come out as gay or lesbian.

However, Davis went on to say that she “loves all people. I have love in my heart for everyone.”

I’ll just leave that right there.