Free Republic

On this slender thread does the promise of religious liberty hang. Justice Anthony Kennedy, in his majority opinion in Obergefell that declares same-sex marriage a constitutional right, barely mentions the means by which most Americans conduct their weddings — houses of worship. Only on page 27 does Kennedy get around to addressing the connection between church and state, and the assurances in this paragraph are less than compelling, to say the least: Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage...

The antithetically-titled “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013” easily overcame the cloture hurdle yesterday, with a motion to proceed passing by 68 to 31, and with NRA-backed senators on both sides of the aisle voting in the affirmative. 16 Republicans joined Senate Democrats to overcome an opposition filibuster, meaning the bill to expand background checks -- among other things -- will now be debated and amendments will be offered amidst close media scrutiny and a frenzied political climate. The draft of S. 649 that provides the framework for the legislative arguments that lie ahead contains an item that could...

SAME-SEX PARENTS 'Gayby boom' in Houston City a favorite spot for gays and lesbians to raise families Four-month-old Jamison Dillemuth is too young to know the difference, but he looks like a mix between both of his mothers. When Jamie Dillemuth, 29, and Baby Djojonegoro, 38, decided several years ago to start a family, they asked Djojonegoro's brother to be a sperm donor for the child Dillemuth would carry. "The child will be part of us, both of us, not just Jamie," said Djojonegoro, who moved to Houston from Indonesia two decades ago when she entered college. Dillemuth, who is...

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Elton John and his partner David Furnish are among hundreds of gay couples in England and Wales making legal history as they "tie the knot" on Wednesday. The couple are exchanging vows during a civil partnership ceremony at Windsor's town hall -- the Guildhall -- where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed in April. The couple plan a low-key private ceremony, with only John's mother and stepfather and Furnish's parents attending. Later in the day, the couple will throw a star-studded party, costing an estimated $1.75 million, according to The Associated Press. Two giant white...

A month after a judge ruled the state’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, Nebraska’s attorney general seeks to defend and reinstate the law to protect traditional marriage. Nebraska voters passed a state constitutional amendment in 2000 defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman. The amendment went further to prohibit other unions and certain legal rights, such as shared health benefits, for same-sex couples. On May 12, Federal District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon struck down Nebraska’s marriage amendment, ruling that it violated the First Amendment by hindering the rights of same-sex couples to take part in political...

Oregon-Gay Marriage URGENT SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Supreme Court has nullified marriage licenses that were issued to three-thousand same-sex couples in Oregon last year.

“He seems to be locked into some legalistic doctrine focused on lifestyle, and I think that’s sad.” This comment was made by Monica Hingston, a former nun living in a lesbian relationship with another former nun, and directed against George Cardinal Pell, archbishop of Sydney (Australia), because he supports Catholic (and natural law) teaching on homosexuality. The two women are pictured on the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald of January 12, 2004 under the caption: “Cry From the Heart by a Cardinal’s Cousin.” Miss Hingston, a distant cousin of the cardinal, published an open letter to him in...

Kerry: Federal government should recognize state-sanctioned same-sex 'marriage' Mar 4, 2004 By Staff BOSTON (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has told homosexual activists that the federal government should recognize same-sex “marriages” and civil unions that are legalized on the state level, The Washington Post reported March 4. His position means that the federal government would grant the same 1,000-plus benefits enjoyed by married couples nationwide to same-sex couples -- provided that those couples lives in a state that allows for same-sex “marriage” or civil unions. Kerry made the pledge at a homosexual fundraiser in San Francisco Feb. 27, the newspaper...

<p>March 5, 2004 -- New Paltz Mayor Jason West could face jail time because his plan to keep performing same-sex marriages is "an arrogant violation of the law," the Ulster County district attorney said yesterday.</p> <p>"He has given us no choice but to prosecute these cases thoroughly," DA Donald Williams told The Post.</p>

<p>It was as well for me that this discussion took place at my own dining-room table. Make no mistake: This is an argument about the socialization of homosexuality, not the homosexualization of society. It demonstrates the spread of conservatism, not radicalism, among gays. For the infuriated Andrew, it became clear, the achievement of the married state was the consummation (all right, excuse the expression) and not the overstatement, of the advances in recognition that had already been won. As to my second point, or observation, how dare I imply that the gay state was somehow promiscuous or irresponsible?</p>

<p>BOSTON (AP) — With Massachusetts' first homosexual "marriages" drawing near, town clerks are seeking guidance from the state about details such as blood tests, the "bride-groom" wording of the "marriage" license and the state's residency requirements.</p> <p>Town clerks from across the state sent a letter to the governor, the attorney general and the public-health commissioner last week, asking for clarification on several points before same-sex "weddings" begin taking place as early as May 17 with the blessing of Massachusetts' highest court.</p>

University of Western Ontario and well-known among lawyers as one of the most prominent legal commentators in Canada. Everyone who still appreciates our national heritage of freedom under law should ponder his latest book, aptly titled, The Most Dangerous Branch: How the Supreme Court of Canada Has Undermined Our Law and Our Democracy. With this title, Martin ironically alludes to the assurance by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers on June 14, 1778, that the people had nothing to fear from the powers conferred on the judiciary by the proposed Constitution of the United States. He wrote: "The judiciary, from...

Our either-or cultural template has come to an unattractive head during the recent Gay Moment, as these days are being dubbed. Of course we've already named it. We can't just let an epic or a decade or a moment slip by without a title. A label. A category. Labeling, in fact, is one of our favorite things in compulsive, either/or America. As in, you're either for us or against us. You're either from Mars or from Venus. You're either pro-gay marriage - or you're a right-wing, fascist, dogmatic homophobe. Well, no, not really. Sometimes you're not a homophobe, but you...