Yeah, I read the responses and thought, “holy shit. In another example of reality being stranger than fiction, another Bush is going to be president.”
With ACA there’s actual dollars involved and people having to “do things” (like buy insurance). It’s easier to say “This impacts you!” and keep the outrage going. With SSM, opponents are going to realize relatively soon that nobody is forcing them to marry another guy, it’s not causing OSM to fall apart, their pastor doesn’t have to officiate any wedding he doesn’t want to, etc. SSM is not going to raise their taxes (to the contrary it will pump money into local economies) or require them to participate, aside from a few people having to come up with a better reason to not bake a cake for a SSM wedding other than “I don’t like SSM”.
That doesn’t mean everybody is suddenly going to be holding hands and singing kumbaya on this issue but I think that a lot of people who are opposed to SSM are going to come to the conclusion that while they don’t approve of it, SSM is not actually impacting their lives in any meaningful way.
Well done. Welcome to the (fabulous) club, America.
Ok, fine. I’ll marry you.
Oh, wait. You meant…dammit. I’ll return the tux.
I am reliably informed that the government will soon be making gay marriage mandatory, so maybe keep it on layaway or something. 
So presumably we are going to invade a country that allows civil unions.
If so, I call Ewan McGregor.
This is great, great news. The wind has been steadily blowing in this direction for a while now, but I’m very glad that the SCOTUS didn’t kick the can down the road.
It’s probably not even a big deal to them. They’ve been saying that God hates the entire world and that we’re all going to Hell for years and years. It’s not as though this news requires them to adjust their worldview that Hell starts at the perimeter of their compound.
Yeah, I figure this is going to take a while to sort out. I also won’t be surprised if some of the more conservative states try to drag their feet or weasel out of it any way they can. It’s my understanding that this decision technically invalidates the SSM bans that are still on the books, but I’m sure some states will have “staffing” and “resource” problems or possibly even try to pass laws that sneak around the decision in some way.
Even if it takes a bit before all states are freely issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples, does this decision require all states to instantaneously recognize marriages from other states? Can anyone with more than zero legal experience weigh in on that?
On paper, yes.
Are you sure that’s true? For those jurisdictions that have laws on the books that are contrary to the ruling, wouldn’t those either need to be repealed, or litigated if the jurisdiction didn’t immediately implement the ruling?
No. As a practical matter, state legislatures (or Congress for that matter) can repeal a legislative act that is held unconstitutional, but it doesn’t have to. The law simply becomes inactive. For example, South Carolina did not legislatively repeal its prohibition on interracial marriage until 1998, though it had obviously ceased to be in effect as of 1967.
In this particular instance, most states and counties whose no-SSM laws had not already been overturned will probably have to generate new forms, update software, and so on. At least in theory, though, everyone should now be able to obtain a marriage license right away.
I forget whether any of the Oberfell consolidated cases were appeals from state courts. Technically, SCOTUS decisions on state cases are not effective for 25 days, when the Court issues a mandate to the state court. However, as a practical matter, anyone denied a license should be able to obtain more or less immediate injunctive relief from a federal district court.
“Lord, we ain’t what we should be, and we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God, we ain’t what we was!” - MLK
He could mean what he says. There is no shortage of religious teaching in *favor *of equal rights and equal respect and love for all; in fact, Jesus had quite a bit to say along those lines.
Not that it makes it safe for Graham to come out yet, of course, not in a Confederate state.
The Texas Observer keeps updating their article on Gay Marriage Arrives in Texas. The usual suspects are bitching & threatening—something. Locally:
Since that was written, the first license has been issued in Bexar County. San Antonio knows how to treat tourists & newlyweds from less fortunate towns will be toasting each other with margaritas.
Even if no licenses have been distributed, Houston will celebrate. Annise Parker is our Mayor:
Remember just a few years ago, when some people where giving Obama shit for not openly supporting gay marriage? And some people, myself included, were giving those people shit for putting unreasonable expectations on someone who was running for reelection? Apparently, I was wrong. Apparently, they weren’t being unrealistic and I was the one being unreasonable in counseling patience. I’m happy I was wrong. I would be happier if I* hadn’t* been afraid to hope, but I’m happy that this day came for my fellow Americans, despite my lack of faith.
This won’t be a big issue, come election time. Not only is there a long enough time for people to forget about this case, but it’s a long enough time for people to see the effects directly. It’s long been noted that support for marriage equality has accelerated considerably over the past few years (i.e., the trendline for support is not linear), and I believe that this is mostly because people have seen others actually getting married without disastrous results, and realized that outside of the bedroom, gays are basically just like straights. Now, with SSM legally recognized across the nation, those living examples are not just going to be a few states over, or a friend-of-a-friend, but in every neighborhood. Opposition still won’t vanish entirely, of course, but it will dwindle to the point that it won’t turn elections, not even within the Republican party.
I, for one, am hoping that the GOP presidential “candidates” keep pushing the issue hard as they can for a good long while.
Realizing that you’re experiencing a day that will eventually go into US textbooks is weird. For once I can say: way to go, America! It’ll be interesting to see various states try to find a way out of this.
(Also - anyone getting showers of toads by them? It’s just a little overcast here. Maybe the rivers of blood will show up later . . .)
I’ve already told a certain young lady that she’s just going to have to accept that I am now seeking my true manlove.
I hope that you and Antonin will be very happy.