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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 27th, 2013
In 2009 Meg Whitman expressed her opposition to marriage equality:
“So as you know I am pro-civil union and not for gay marriage. And just for me, that term marriage, for me needs to be between a man and a woman…I do not feel it is a slap in the face. I had a terrific record at eBay, an excellent work environment for people of all different backgrounds and all walks of life. And as I said I am pro-civil union.”
In August 2010, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker found Proposition 8 to be a violation of the US Constitution. The campaign office for Meg Whitman, then the Republican nominee for California Governor, released a statement:
Meg supported Proposition 8 and believes marriage is between a man and a woman. Meg also strongly supports California’s civil union laws. Today’s ruling is the first step in a process that will continue.
And when Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown declined to defend the amendment, Whitman said that were it her decision, she would choose to allow it to go forward.
“I think the governor of California and the attorney general today have to defend the Constitution and have to enable the judicial process to go along … and an appeal to go through,” Whitman said. “So if I was governor, I would give that ruling standing to be able to appeal to the circuit court.”
Well, the appeal did go through and the ruling was in ‘a process that continued’. So, it appears, was Meg’s thinking on the issue.
Yesterday we told you that her name was among those who have signed an amicus brief in favor of overturning Proposition 8 on constitutional grounds. Today she explained how her views came to evolve on this issue and why she now believes that marriage equality is good for society.
Marriage is the fundamental institution that unites a society. It is the single greatest contributor to the well-being of adults and children because it promotes eternal principles like commitment, fidelity and stability. It makes no difference whether the marriage is between a man and woman or a woman and woman. Marriage makes society better.
…we now know that children who grow up in intact, married families are much more likely to do well in school, achieve professional success and enjoy the benefits of stable, adult family lives.
In contrast, children who live with unmarried, cohabitating partners encounter significant challenges in their lives due to the higher separation rates of their parents and lower household incomes. Laws like California’s Proposition 8 do not fortify traditional marriage, they merely prevent hundreds of thousands of children of same-sex couples from enjoying the benefits that accrue from marriage.
At it’s core, it’s a conservative argument. And let’s hope it is as effective on Kennedy and Roberts (and possibly even Alito or Thomas) as it was on Whitman.
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Ben In Oakland
February 27th, 2013
“And let’s hope it is as effective on Kennedy and Roberts (and possibly even Alito or Thomas) as it was on Whitman.”
Ya mean it won’t mean a thing to Ol’ Scaley? Has thomas ever voted differently than he?
customartist
February 28th, 2013
This is just All Too Convenient for the Conservative Politically-Hopefulls.
Why are they not expressing their changes of heart to their Party, and not SCOTUS?
Sandhorse
February 28th, 2013
Ben, I think you know as well as I do that this case is basically a free paycheck for Scalia. If he even bothers to listen it would be purely for the purposes of his next book deal. Beyond that he’ll be too busy manipulating the argument to budget any mental real-estate to actually understand the argument.
Besides, he knows he doesn’t have to since the constitution never mentions gays.
Andrew
February 28th, 2013
What a load of bull. Her thinking hasn’t evolved. Public opinion has, and she’s scurrying to be on the right side of history. Sorry, Meg, you had your moment of courage. That ship sailed, and you weren’t on it.
johnson
March 1st, 2013
Amen, Andrew. Couldn’t have summed this woman up any better!
Nathaniel
March 6th, 2013
To be fair, the quote provided about pushing Prop 8 through the court system doesn’t seem mean-spirited. Rather, sitting here in the future, looking at the possibility the SCOTUS will punt by saying the defenders don’t have the right to defend (rather than being bold and declaring all such amendments invalid), her statement seems fairly prescient.
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