From the AP:
Supreme Court strikes down gay sex ban
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court struck down a ban on gay sex Thursday, ruling that the law was an unconstitutional violation of privacy.
The 6-3 ruling reverses course from a ruling 17 years ago that states could punish homosexuals for what such laws historically called deviant sex.
The case is a major reexamination of the rights and acceptance of gay people in the United States. More broadly, it also tests a state’s ability to classify as a crime what goes on behind the closed bedroom doors of consenting adults.
Thursday’s ruling invalidated a Texas law against “deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.”
Defending that law, Texas officials said that it promoted the institutions of marriage and family, and argued that communities have the right to choose their own standards.
The law “demeans the lives of homosexual persons,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority.
And yet, the old assholes speak:
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.
“The court has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda,” Scalia wrote for the three. He took the unusual step of reading his dissent from the bench.
“The court has taken sides in the culture war,” Scalia said, adding that he has “nothing against homosexuals.”
Why is it that bigots always follow up their bigotry with a disclaimer like that? “I have nothing against them, I just don’t want them on this planet.” [Clarification: the AP article took Scalia’s quote out of context. See Thom’s entry clarifying what Scalia said.]
The so-called “Homosexual Agenda” is nothing special – and I mean, nothing special. It’s just equality. It’s ridiculous in this day and age to still discriminate against anyone in such a way.
Oddly, this ruling is truly conservative – the government has no business being in my bedroom or my private life.
Update: From morons.org, a few of the comments on this ruling–
okay, here is how our local (south florida) news radio station (610 wiod) played this story: “the supreme court makes it harder to convict child molesters, details after this.”
i kid you not.
Some talking head spokesmoron from a church group said “this will lead to the distruction of America.”
NOOOOO!!! Whatever will become of marriage? Certainly it will crumble now! Divorce rates will soar up to 50%, people will start marrying for reasons other than to have children, and next thing you know we’ll have couples of mixed race trying to get… well, I can’t even say it! I’m no bigot, but we cannot allow our new “rights” to consensual sex to lead to interracial marriage! What would God think??
