Cornyn Attacks Same-Sex Marriage Ruling At SCOTUS Hearing: “Who Do These People Really Think They Are?”

Mother Jones reports:

During the second day of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) took the occasion to attack marriage equality. His line of questioning comes as conservatives have continued to use state legislatures and the courts to roll back rights for LGBTQ people. While a majority of Americans support marriage equality, it remains a target for repeal by many on the right.

Cornyn’s objections are, first, that granting equal rights to LGBTQ people conflicts with the religious beliefs of some people. To which Jackson responded, “Well, senator, that is the nature of a right. That when there is a right, it means that there are limitations on regulation, even if people are regulating pursuant to their sincerely held religious beliefs, even if people are regulating pursuant to their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The Washington Blade reports:



The Texas Republican went on to describe the issue as not just an overriding the will of the states and the people, but also major religions, and asked Jackson if she agrees “marriage is not simply a governmental institution, it’s also a religious institution.”

When Jackson replied, “Well, senator, marriages are often performed in religious institutions,” Cornyn followed up with questioning on whether she agrees many major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have defined marriage as one man, one woman.

Jackson wouldn’t engage with Cornyn beyond what was directly necessary: “I am aware that there are various religious faiths that define marriage in a traditional way.”