Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Washington State judge rules gay marriage ban unconstitutional
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks ruled today that the banning of gay marriages in the State of Washington is a violation of the state's Constitution.
This is the second ruling by a state judge on the matter. A King County judges ruled in favor of gay rights in a separate ruling last month. Both cases will now be consolidated and move to the State Supreme Court where they are expected to be considered.
In his ruling Judge Hicks said, "For the government this is not a moral issue. It is a legal issue". Many judges who've ruled on this particular issue have issued similar opinions in their rulings.
That said, I submit that in fact it is a moral issue as well. This is an attempt to deny civil rights to a select group of people and using religion as the impetus and excuse for the action. Much the way slavery and civil rights for blacks was handled decades earlier.
Kudos to the judge for following the law. I'm sure we'll hear gnashing of teeth by the right on "activist judges". But the "activist" ones on this matter are those upholding these laws, not overturning them.
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This is the second ruling by a state judge on the matter. A King County judges ruled in favor of gay rights in a separate ruling last month. Both cases will now be consolidated and move to the State Supreme Court where they are expected to be considered.
In his ruling Judge Hicks said, "For the government this is not a moral issue. It is a legal issue". Many judges who've ruled on this particular issue have issued similar opinions in their rulings.
That said, I submit that in fact it is a moral issue as well. This is an attempt to deny civil rights to a select group of people and using religion as the impetus and excuse for the action. Much the way slavery and civil rights for blacks was handled decades earlier.
Kudos to the judge for following the law. I'm sure we'll hear gnashing of teeth by the right on "activist judges". But the "activist" ones on this matter are those upholding these laws, not overturning them.
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