The summer campaign I predicted last May has now been stepped up in the House. The bill that passed yesterday singles out gay citizens and denies them access to the federal courts to defend their right to marry. Does the Defense of Marriage Act violate the constitution? Then amend the constitution, most Republicans say. If you cannot amend the constitution, knee-cap the courts. And all this is defended with the rhetoric of a man like James Sensenbrenner, who declared, “Marriage is under attack!” By whom, sir? All gay people want is to join civil marriage, and be an equal part of their own families. To describe this deep human need, this conservative impulse, as an “attack” on an institution revered by many homosexuals and their families is itself a piece of callous demonization. And the precedent is chilling. If gays can be singled out and denied access to the courts, why not other minorities? Blacks? Hispanics? If the Republicans can do this to exclude gays from access to the courts, why couldn’t Democrats one day do it to prevent conservative Christians? I loved this quote from a news story:
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said it could find no precedent for Congress passing a law to limit federal courts from ruling on the constitutionality of another law, although Democrats said opponents of civil rights legislation tried to do the same thing.
Yes, today’s Republicans are now the inheritors of those Democrats who did all they could to prevent African-Americans from winning their civil rights.
A QUESTION OF RESPECT: Here’s a simple question: Can you think of any other minority targeted by a single party for discrimination? Did the GOP cushion this by saying anything in defense of gay people or families? Did they signal that they could support, say, civil unions? Did they say this gag on the courts was sufficient and the FMA was now redundant? Nah – they promised to amend the Constitution as well, if they can. The only faintly civil impulse is the president’s declaration that the debate should be conducted with respect. I will grant the president the benefit of the doubt on this if and when he ever says the words “gay and lesbian citizens.” It is the first mark of respect to call people by their name. But he won’t. We are unmentionable to him – because if he ever named us, he would humanize us, and if he humanized us, it would become clear how divisive his policies are. I am amused by the fuss made by Bush’s refusal to visit the NAACP, and go to the Urban League instead. Isn’t it telling that no one even asks whether the president has met with any group representing millions of his fellow gay Americans? Think about that for a minute. It will tell you a lot about this president’s ability to be a uniter of this country. Some in the gay world have gone out on a very long limb to defend this president on the war, and even endorsed him when he promised to be inclusive. He has rewarded them with this kind of gambit. What are they supposed to do in return? Campaign for him?
The Dish 