Kudos to Judge Roberson for Doing the Right Thing

Let it not be said that I won’t recognize when someone realizes they were wrong, and changes their direction. Chief District Court Judge Jim Roberson released a statement late Friday saying that all magistrates must comply with the law and perform same-sex marriages. You may remember that I’d written an article here at Deep Something about the issues with some North Carolina Magistrates thinking the Evangelical Christians have special rights when it comes to performing government duties. At first Judge Roberson was trying to give some out for those magistrates without creating an inconvenience for LGBT couples. I appreciate his interests here, but the government can give NO quarter to discrimination by government officials.

Read more

Trouble in Alamance County North Carolina

Unfortunately there are some magistrates in North Carolina who don’t understand about doing their jobs. a magistrate judge in Pasquotank County on Monday refused to marry two men, citing religious objections. Some magistrates in Alamance County also said they wouldn’t marry gay couples. I am flummoxed by Chief District Court Judge Jim Roberson of Alamance County who said that some of the 11 magistrates under his supervision didn’t want to officiate same-sex marriage ceremonies. “As a team, we’re going to abide by the law,” Roberson told the Times-News of Burlington. “Some of our magistrates have concerns based on their faiths and religious beliefs. I completely respect that. Other magistrates do not.” What kind or moronic, bigoted bullshit is that?

Read more

Ms Perkin’s Kickers are in a Bunch over Kentucky

Tony Perkins (who has frequently been a speaker at white supremacist meetings) of the Family Research Council (FRC-which got it’s start with a KKK mailing list, and is an SPLC designated hate group), is upset that a judge in Kentucky has apparently that the equal protection clause of the Constitution really does apply in Kentucky, and actually even requires that LGBT people be included in those protections

Read more

New Mexico-The Next Big Thing?

Who would have ever thought that New Mexico would become the new nexus for gay rights? A week or so ago, in response to the recent Supreme Court rulings, Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins started issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. As of today, she’s issued approximately 91. And just today, in response to a lawsuit filed by two men, District Judge Sara Singleton issued an order which mandates that Santa Fe County Clerk Geraldine Salazar issue the marriage licenses or appear in court to tell the judge why that shouldn’t happen.

Read more

Brian and Bryan Fail to Understand Constitution

Brian Brown of the anti-gay designated hate group National Organization for Marriage (NOM), and Bryan Fischer of the designated hate group American Family Association (AFA), both have their knickers in a twist over recent court ruling out of New Mexico. In this ruling, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled against a Albuquerque wedding photographer, Elane Photography who refused to work with a lesbian couple citing her deeply held religious beliefs.

Read more

So Stupid It Hurts-Blaming the Gays

Georgia’s reigning Ms Helmet Hair and GOP Chairwoman, Sue Everhart, called it correctly when she recently told the Marietta Daily Journal, “Lord, I’m going to get in trouble over this. She got right when she went on to claim that ending DOMA would cause straight people to get gay-married just for the benefits. And, of course, since every negative event in the world must be blamed on gay people, Southern Baptist Convention President, Frank Luter, had to blame the SCOTUS hearings about gay marriage for North Korea’s increasing anti-American rhetoric. Because, you know, they’ve never been anti-American until now.

Read more

Stand and Be Counted

There is a great tradition in the Northeast United States of annual town meetings. Important issues for the town are voted on by everyone attending (who is a legal voter in that town), and this is where the famous line, “stand and be counted” comes from. After everyone has spoken on the issue, they call on those in favor to “stand and be counted.” We’ve just celebrated the day the Declaration of Independence was ratified. Those founding fathers did more than just vote, they pledged their lives and fortunes in defiance of the Crown. Note they not only said it, they affixed their signatures to the document…an act of treason.

Read more

Republicans Oppose Obama's SCOTUS Nominee

The ink is barely dry on Justice David Souter’s letter of resignation from the Supreme Court, and the wingnuts in Rush Limbaugh’s Republican party are already complaining about Obama’s nominee for his replacement. The talking points are all so similar, it’s clear the effort is coordinated.

Read more

Supreme Court Won't Hear Anti-Gay Student's Case

The Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of a Kentucky High School student who wants to sue the school district for barring him from expressing opposition to homosexuality. Morrison, a senior at Boyd County High School, sued the Boyd County school district over a policy that required students to undergo anti-harassment training. He claimed the policy threatened him with punishment for expressing religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality.

Read more

Finally-A Judge Who Understands the Constitution

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that a Federal Judge is questioning the constitutionality of the law designed to give the telecommunications companies blanket immunity for their illegal wiretaps. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has asked President Obama’s Justice Department to present its views by Wednesday on whether the law gives the attorney general too much power to decide whether a company is immune from lawsuits.

Read more