With the US Supreme Court considering two cases concerning Marriage Equality, Washington DC was again busy with demonstrations.
The general consensus of the first day is that the court is likely to find a way to let Prop 8 go away, paving the way for Marriage Equality in California, without making it the law of the land. It remains to be seen if the same will be true of DOMA, which will be argued today, but many feel like this is the case.
Nate Silver, in his NYTimes blog, took stock of the public opinion on same-sex marriage going into the Court’s hearings.
Lauren Markoe and Caleb K. Bell write on Religion News Service that the Supreme Court is pondering “how”, not “if”:
Isn’t it remarkable, attorney Ted Olson said after arguing for same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 26), that the other side wasn’t really arguing against it?
Jerry Zremski of The Buffalo News was one of many to suggest that the Court is looking for an escape hatch:
Like many a nervous suitor thinking about popping the question, several Supreme Court justices Tuesday pondered making gay marriage the law of the land and said, each in his or her own way, “I’m just not ready.”
The LA Times “Supreme Court seems willing to restore gay marriage in California”:
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who probably holds the deciding vote, said in the day’s most poignant moment that he was troubled by the effect of Proposition 8 on the nearly 40,000 children in the state being raised by same-sex couples. The court should hear “the voice of these children,” he said. “They want their parents to have full recognition and full status” that goes with marriage.
Arguments from the Prop 8 case, Hollingsworth v. Perry, can be found on the Supreme Court’s website.
TVEyes has CSPAN clips of speakers from outside, including The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson and daughter Ella and The Very Rev. Gary Hall
Passion and creativity have been on display within the crowds in DC and around the country, and the online presence of memes and personal graphics showing support for Marriage Equality.
Facebook has turned red thanks to Human Rights Campaign’s request to change avatars to red for the two days of arguments in the Court.