"Who to reach?" vs "What is our program?"

Justin Schwartz jschwart at freenet.columbus.oh.us
Thu Jun 11 18:42:35 PDT 1998



> There is no federal law that protects workers from discrimination due to
> sexuality.

As I note in my other psot on this, this is inaccurate in viiew of Romer v. Evans, The 14thamendment of the US Cosntitution will apply with teeth to state discrimination against gays.

In Washington state here, a gay group got this put on the
> the right for employers to fire homosexuals was democratically reinforced,

Thsi won't apply for public employers (like teachers).


> and the legislature went ahead and nullified any single sex marriages made
> in Hawaii or elsewhere.

It's an unresolved question whether they can do this in view of the Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution, which requires the states to give each other's legala cts (inclusing marriage) full faith and credit, taht is, the effect they'd have in their home state. Thsi will get to the US S.Ct sometime soon.

We have a ways to go. But so many strides have
> been made in gay rights that I have to expect that the majority might
> finally support at least these minimal levels of rights 20 years from now.

I would not predict--it will be close, a 5-4 vote one way or the other. But given Stevens, Ginsberg, Breyer, and Souter to uphold the Hawaiin court's determination and give FFC to gay marriages, if Kennedy buys it, then it will fly. He might. He wrote Romer v. Evans.

--jks



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