Tag Archives: California

The California Supreme Court has refused to force the state government to defend Proposition 8. The state officials’ decision not to argue in support of Proposition 8 has raised questions about whether anyone is legally qualified to defend it in court. The Pacific Justice Institute filed suit last week, arguing that the California Constitution requires Brown to defend the state’s …

Surprisingly free of any mention of Meg Whitman.

Dominionist, extremist, Christofascist preacher Lou Engle gathered several thousand bigots in California’s capital today to pray against same-sex marriage and for “authority over Jezebel and San Francisco values.” The Sacramento event, Engle said, helped to highlight immoral laws being passed out of the Capitol and called on traditional marriage to be restored. “If marriage is going to be upheld between …

California GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has been dismissed as a potential juror in a child molestation case after telling the court that she could not give the case her “100% best” due to the campaign. The accused man is alleged to have molested several boys, leading attorneys to ridiculously ask the potential jurors if they feel that homosexuality is …

The California Court of Appeals has just denied the attempt to force Schwarzenegger and Brown to defend Proposition 8. “Petition summarily denied by order.” The suit was brought by the anti-gay Pacific Justice Institute on behalf of Pastor Joshua Beckley, with a supportive brief from former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese. The court’s full ruling should be posted here by …

Fiorina recap: Marriage is between a man and a woman, blasts Judge Walker, supports civil unions, supports DOMA, supports repeal of DADT. “My position [on marriage] is consistent with that of the president.”

Equality California issued an alert this afternoon that the anti-gay Pacific Justice Institute has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force Gov. Schwarzenegger and AG Jerry Brown to defend Prop 8. And of course, the lawsuit is being brought on behalf of a Christian pastor. The institute is arguing that as the state’s chief law enforcement officer, Brown does …

I don’t judge any person because they don’t participate in the same heterosexual lifestyle as my wife and me. But when you tell me that homosexual marriage is a normal thing, it’s like telling me the Earth is flat. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and the law of California says that homosexual marriage is illegal. So if …

In one of the longest and strangest attack ads we’ve seen yet, California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado goes after his 2010 opponent, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Via press release from Equality California: Today, the California State Senate approved a joint resolution, AJR 19, calling on the U.S. Congress and President Obama to immediately repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which explicitly forbids the federal government or any federal agency from recognizing state-sanctioned marriages between same-sex couples. Introduced by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D – Santa Monica) …

Today in crazy teabaggers we have California GOP congressional candidate Mattie Fein, who attacks Rep. Jane Harman (D) with this Young Frankenstein spoof in which Harman is portrayed as Cloris Leachman’s immortal Frau Blucher. And yes, that’s really Mattie Fein in the clip. UDPATE: The clip’s maker writes to say that Fein is “not a teabagger or a Tea Party …

Meg Whitman surprised no one when she announced this weekend that if she becomes governor of California, she will defend Proposition 8 in court, something Schwarzenegger declined to do. However many are questioning whether the timing of both the election and the appeal to the Ninth Circuit would allow Whitman to do so. Karen Ocamb spoke to Lambda Legal’s Jon …

(Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has announced that she will defend Prop 8 in court if elected. “The issue right now is, as I understand is ‘Will Proposition 8 have the appropriate support to actually make an appeal to the circuit court of appeals?’ ” Whitman said. “And I think the governor, the attorney general today has to defend the …

A dozen activists were arrested today at a San Diego county clerk’s office when they refused to leave without being issued marriage licenses. On the day hundreds of gay and lesbian couples statewide planned to obtain their long-awaited marriage licenses, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the county clerk’s office Thursday to protest a federal judge’s stay of …

Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley says that if he is elected as state Attorney General in November, he will defend Proposition 8 in court. Current AG Jerry Brown had declined to do so. “The role of the attorney general is to defend the will of the people,” says [Cooley spokesman Kevin] Spillane. “He would defend (Prop. 8) and appeal” …

Via press release from Protect Marriage: Great news! The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has just now granted our request to suspend Judge Walker’s ruling against Proposition 8! This legal victory upholds the votes of 7 million Californians while the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case is heard on appeal. If the Ninth Circuit had not granted our motion, then Judge Walker’s …

Freedom To Marry’s Evan Wolfson responds: “Today’s 9th Circuit order expediting appeal of Chief Judge Walker’s persuasive decision striking down Prop 8 and maintaining a stay during the appellate review, is a disappointing delay for many Californians who hoped to celebrate the freedom to marry and full inclusion in society as soon as possible. But there are many twists in …

From Ted Olson and the American Foundation for Equal Rights: Today the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit set a highly expedited schedule for briefing and argument of proponents’ appeal from the district court’s August 4, 2010 decision striking down California’s Proposition 8 as an unconstitutional violation of the rights of gay and lesbian citizens to due …