Fed court in Utah (!) says marriage equality required by the Constitution

[xmas74]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/20/3097681/breaking-federal-court-utah-says-marriage-equality-required-constitution/#

No copy and paste-just follow the link. This could be huge.

[xmas74]

1. kick

[uppityperson]

3. k&r

[RKP5637]

13. Great sig line you have!!!!!

[malthaussen]

4. This is an important precedent.

Many states have statutory or constitutional prohibitions on same-sex marriage. This ruling can provide ammunition to overturn those as well.

-- Mal

[xmas74]

5. There will be appeals but this decision

is the one that could make same sex marriage acceptable in every state.

It's just that huge.

[RKP5637]

6. K&R!!! This, is a BFD!

[xmas74]

7. It's really exciting.

I was speaking with a friend this evening and he had no idea it had happened. Hopefully this will gain momentum over the weekend.

[RKP5637]

9. Yep, I think the walls are breaking down, I think more and more people are

realizing the persecution of LGBT is cruel, unnecessary and really ridiculous ... in fact, sadistic by some I think. Often the haters just have to have something to hate, so LGBT has given to them a handy target far too long.

[xmas74]

11. I can't wait to see which state will use this to their advantage.

I know that my state, Missouri, was the first to adopt the "sanctity of marriage" crap. I also know that my governor and state AG have made statements that they'd love a reason to overturn this.

[RKP5637]

12. Jay Nixon always seems like a good guy to me. On the other hand, IMO, Brownback

is right out of the dark ages in Brownbackistan. I certainly hope the people of Kansas show him the door in the next election.

[xmas74]

15. Jay made the comment about gay marriage not too long ago.

It's really been on his mind lately.

I think Jay is bound for bigger and better things on a national level. Cabinet member someday? He'd be good. I think he'd be a great AG. He was our state AG for many years and would be the perfect counterbalance of what a good AG does, compared to Ashcroft.

If we have a Dem president elected next cycle I hope someone takes a good look at him for a position. Maybe he's not the liberal that DU would like but he's a good guy who would really fight for what is right. He's prochoice, he's pro marriage equality and he's against everything that Right to Work stands for. As of this time, he's about the only thing that's standing up and protecting the citizens of Missouri from Right to work. He's stated that he will veto everything RtW related that comes across his desk.

Oh, and he had more than a few "lovely" things to say about Rick Perry. A couple of months ago, when Perry came to steal jobs from Missouri, a number of politicians in Jeff City welcomed him with open arms (including my state rep, who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread). Jay basically told him to "f" himself and showed him the door. If he could have, he would have had the highway patrol meet him at the airport and escort him right back to the runway.

[RKP5637]

19. Yep, I would like to see Jay Nixon on the national level too. Ashcroft, what a

piece of work he was ...

[xmas74]

20. A couple of articles promoted Nixon into the national level as a possible contender for the 2016 nom

but he's already shot them down. I don't like him in that office-at least not yet. Maybe someday but not today.

I do think he's moderate enough that he can cross lines for votes. Would I like someone more liberal? Sure, but I also know that sometimes, in order to accomplish a goal, compromise is in order. I think he'd compromise on the "right things" but would still stand his ground on what needs to be done.

[RKP5637]

21. Yeah, I think the same about needing to cross the line a bit for votes. I like

liberal, but I don't think an ultra-liberal would ever win the presidency in the US. It's a strategic game.

[xmas74]

22. While I'd prefer someone almost ultra-liberal

I know my neighbors would never cast a vote. I'll take a moderate Repub or even a conservative Dem any day of the week over the other options, which are usually conservative, ultraconservative, neocon, RR,RW or Tea Party Repubs.

Nixon reaches across party lines. He's very well liked in Missouri by Dems, Independents and even moderate Repubs, who have admitted to crossing party lines to elect him. The thing he's probably more liberal about than some is fighting and defeating Right to Work laws, which he once referred to years ago as "Right to Starve". (I've never found a quote but I remember hearing him say it in person at a rally, pre-internet.) On a national level he would fight to end them entirely. While that might not sit well with big business I can see it sitting well with the Average Joe. He already has love from Labor-they are always out supporting him during the election cycles.

[el_bryanto]

8. oh my word - that's a good turn of events. nt

He was endorsed by both Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch.

[xmas74]

10. This ruling is huge

It could be used to possibly overturn other state rulings.

[justiceischeap]

14. This may very well be what a certain Constitutional lawyer

was considering when insisting that marriage equality go through the courts instead of him or Congress.

[xmas74]

16. It could be.

I don't think he considered it would come from Utah, though the very recent ruling there about cohabitation certainly brought this into a new light.

It's a really, really exciting time.

[MineralMan]

17. Ha! Take that, Utah!

We're about to see a wave of these court decisions across the country, especially in states where they passed sweeping laws or state constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage. Because they went too far, they'll get marriage equality whether they like it or not. In the end, we all win!

Utah is a special case, and it's really nice to see their bigoted law get overturned by the court.

[xmas74]

18. Not only overturned, but effective immediately.

Within an hour of the decision a couple had already married.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024206656

I can't wait. I can see this as something that my governor and state AG will at least consider and consider it shortly. Both have come out in favor of equality, even though Missouri was the first to pass that hateful bit of business. Of the two, Koster, the state AG, might sit back a bit, since he's planning on running for governor in 2016. Nixon has made comments that lead one to believe he'll jump all over this and try to get the fight going here. He wants equality to happen and has said it will eventually happen in Missouri, whether certain people like it or not.