I just checked it out, and we do have proper gay marriage in England. It somehow went under my gaydar! I thought we still had that stupid civil partnership crap. But no, in March 2014 (or maybe 2013, not too clear) we got proper gay marriage! So it's a double celebration for me

I found this on wiki about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_(...)_Act_2013

Quote:Makes same-sex marriage legal.

Preserves the Canon law of the Church of England which states that marriage is between opposite-sex couples only.

States that the common law duty on members of the clergy to solemnise marriages does not extend to same-sex marriages.

What the fuck, canon law?

(June 26, 2015 at 11:43 am)Parkers Tan Wrote: The idea that rights should be determined by popular sentiment is a startling, and uneducated, view, for a Supreme Court Justice to hold.

The words 'tyranny of the majority' kept playing on a constant loop in my head as I was reading Scalia's dissent.

(June 26, 2015 at 12:04 pm)Cato Wrote:

(June 26, 2015 at 11:43 am)Parkers Tan Wrote: The idea that rights should be determined by popular sentiment is a startling, and uneducated, view, for a Supreme Court Justice to hold.

The words 'tyranny of the majority' kept playing on a constant loop in my head as I was reading Scalia's dissent.

Scalia may be a heretic, but at least he has not fully relinquished the use of a properly formed conscience.

(June 26, 2015 at 12:01 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote:

(June 26, 2015 at 11:53 am)Neimenovic Wrote: Give them time. Right now they're flabbergasted

Nah. You might be surprised to learn that most people down here don't give a shit how other folks live ... it's a shrill minority that gives us a bad name.

I'm not surprised. There's assholes and non assholes everywhere. These assholes are just louder. Didn't mean to generalize

I'm guessing in America the supreme's court decision has legal effects for all States so it's a type of federal law, or something like that - Good job America! Now let's wait to see the conservatives' reaction

(June 26, 2015 at 12:04 pm)Cato Wrote:

(June 26, 2015 at 11:43 am)Parkers Tan Wrote: The idea that rights should be determined by popular sentiment is a startling, and uneducated, view, for a Supreme Court Justice to hold.

The words 'tyranny of the majority' kept playing on a constant loop in my head as I was reading Scalia's dissent.

Exactly. For a guy who claims to adore the Founding Fathers, it's amazing that Scalia would be so ignorant of Madison's work and warnings.

Of course, given Scalia's antipathy to most of our rights, and given that Madison helped in large part to author the Bill of Rights, I perhaps should understand Scalia's ignorance to be a matter of course.

(June 26, 2015 at 12:08 pm)Neimenovic Wrote:

(June 26, 2015 at 12:01 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote: Nah.  You might be surprised to learn that most people down here don't give a shit how other folks live ... it's a shrill minority that gives us a bad name.

I'm not surprised. There's assholes and non assholes everywhere. These assholes are just louder. Didn't mean to generalize

It's an easy one to make, with all the dumbfucks we do have.

Also, I'm expecting all newspapers and news channels on every country in Europe and most of the world will highlight this today - I want to see my parents' reactions.

(June 26, 2015 at 12:09 pm)Dystopia Wrote: I'm guessing in America the supreme's court decision has legal effects for all States so it's a type of federal law, or something like that - Good job America! Now let's wait to see the conservatives' reaction

The decision doesn't create a law.  It's up to Congress to create legislation.  What this decision does is say that LGBT people have the right to marry, which nullifies the bans on such marriage in the states that have them.

In other words, there has always been an implied right for straight people to get married.  This decision says, "Hey, LGBT people have that same right."

The fight isn't over.  There will no doubt be 'religious freedom' BS that pops up with state officials not wanting to give those icky gays a marriage license, as well as states perhaps not wanting to recognize marriages from out of state gay couples.  But, a huge hurdle was crossed today.

The forward thinking part of my brain says fantastic, great day, about time. The skeptic part is waiting for the new ways to discriminate against same sex couples to make an appearance.