Newsweek posted some reactions to the Prop. 8 decision. You might recognize a couple of them:
Jubilant
Don’t take this as gloating, gay blogger Alvin McEwen writes, but it’s pretty clear that Prop 8 was overturned because the claims of supporters, though effective in scaring paranoid voters, simply don’t withstand the scrutiny of the judicial system.
Alvin McEwen:
“In the courts, you must defend your position … Your leaders spun false images of avenging hordes for their reluctance to be questioned in the courts about the unprovoked lies they said in pulpits, in speeches, and on commercials. This time, it didn’t work. The court saw through the phony claims and realized something, which I hope that many of you now do—you have no logical reason to either deny us the right to love or to deny us the ability to protect the ones whom we love.”
If you don’t know my friend, Alvin, you should. He keeps track of the right-wing’s anti-gay rhetoric and calls them out on their lies all the time. Besides writing at the Blend, he’s got his own blog: Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters.
And:
Agitated
Like many advocates, gay journalist John Aravosis of the progressive AmericaBlog isn’t buying the White House’s statement on the ruling, which says Obama opposes both Prop 8 and gay marriage. The time for wishy-washy equivocating is over.
John Aravosis:
“Did the White House just say that they agreed with the federal court’s reasoning that ‘no rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license.’ Really? I doubt it. I think the White House just tried to have its cake and eat it too—sound supportive, but not dare embrace the decision itself … It’s time for the White House to answer the question, do they agree with the ruling or not?”
That “agitation” from John was before we heard what David Axelrod on Thursday morning:
The president does oppose same-sex marriage, but he supports equality for gay and lesbian couples, and benefits and other issues, and that has been effectuated in federal agencies under his control. He’s supports civil unions, and that’s been his position throughout. So nothing has changed.
That’s so wrong. A lot has changed, much of it because of Prop. 8. There’s going to be a lot more agitation if Obama keeps defending separate, but equal for LGBT Americans.
