Arkansas’ Marriage Amendment Still Stands Despite Oklahoma Ruling

Marriage, ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 15, 2014

On Tuesday, a federal judge in Oklahoma struck Oklahoma’s marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, calling the ban “arbitrary.”

On Wednesday Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “This ruling does not affect Arkansas’ marriage amendment. Arkansas’ ban on same-sex marriage still stands.”

Cox said while the ruling is disappointing, it is not entirely surprising. “Activists have filed over a dozen lawsuits across the country challenging state marriage amendments in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s DOMA decision last summer. It is not surprising out of that many lawsuits they would find one or two federal judges willing to strike down a state marriage amendment. It’s also likely many judges will uphold these amendments as constitutional. Either way, this issue will not be settled until it makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Cox said contrary to what many are saying, same-sex marriage is not a forgone conclusion. “The U.S. Supreme Court signaled that state marriage laws ought to be respected when it put a stay on a federal judge’s ruling that struck Utah’s same-sex marriage ban last month. When the court struck part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act last summer, the court said states—not the federal government—define marriage. If the U.S. Supreme Court were to go a step farther and say these state marriage amendments are unconstitutional, it would effectively be saying that neither the state nor the federal government has the right to define marriage. That just wouldn’t make sense.”

Cox said he expects more rulings on state marriage amendments in the coming weeks. “Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court will address this issue. There’s no doubt about that. It will be a sad day if the Supreme Court disenfranchises millions of voters in over thirty states by striking their state marriage amendments.”

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Killing the Duck that Laid the Golden Eggs

1 CommentHomosexuality, Religious Freedom, , , , ,

You may have seen the news this week that A&E has indefinitely suspended Phil Robertson from filming the hit reality show ‘Duck Dynasty.’

Phil made comments in an interview with GQ calling homosexuality a sin and referencing scripture. His discussion was graphic and doesn’t win a lot of points for tact, but then again, if you watch the show, you know Phil Robertson doesn’t always beat around the bush.

Of course, when GLAAD and others read Phil’s comments, they immediately put in calls to A&E, who airs the show. A&E responded with a statement that read in part:

“[Phil’s] personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

Here’s the problem. Say what you will, but Phil Robertson was articulating his deeply-held religious convictions concerning sexual sin (if you read the interview, you know he doesn’t limit the discussion to homosexuality). A&E even says in its statement that these are Phil Robertson’s “personal views” and not those of the network. They could have left it at that; they could have simply said, “Phil believes what he believes; we disagree, but what he believes is his business.” Television networks do that all the time when stars say or do things that are controversial. Instead they fired him.

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CA Group Collects Signatures to Repeal ‘Bathroom’ Law

Current Events, ENDA, ,

California recently passed a law permitting K-12 students who self-identify as “transgender” to pick which bathroom they use at school and which sports team they try out for; this means a biological boy who considers himself a girl could use the women’s restroom and try out for sports like girls’ basketball.

Needless to say, the law is extremely controversial. It violates the privacy of students, but a California group has been gathering petition signatures to repeal the law.

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