We at Gay Family Values would like to take the time to thank the people who Livebloged and tweeted their fingers off to bring us this information. Without you we would all be in the dark and I look forward to the day when full transcripts of the trial are released. We would also like to thank the legal team of Olsen and Boies for putting together such a solid case and for putting the spot light on a subject that is long overdue to be faced. We would like to thank all the Plaintiff's witnesses who were so unflappable on the stand. Finally...last but not least we would like to thank two very special witnesses, who we think made the case for the discrimination that gays and lesbians go through better, than if the entire Gay Mens Chorus sang it in Union Square...
Thanks alot everyone...we couln't have done it without you!
Dr. William Tam!
Dr. Tam tried his best to get out of being associated with Prop 8. and attempted to have himself removed as an intervenor on the basis that he would undergo harrasment because of his stance on Prop 8. Judge Walker denied his request...much to the chagrin of Prop. 8 defense attorneys who knew they now had to own him. While taking the stand Dr. Tam had to take responsibility for Prop. 8 documents in which he claimed that, after legalizing marriage, gays and lesbians will attempt to legalize having sex with children and prostitution....among a whole host of other batshittery.Thank you Dr. Tam for demonstrating that the majority of arguments that are used against same-sex marriage are based in tragically destructive stereotypes...kinda like people used to believe about asians....and religious bias.
David Blankenhorn!
Founder and president of the Institute for American Values. Blankenhorn, who was brought in as a marriage expert....actually has no background in same-sex marriages at all. His degrees aren't even related to psychology or sociology and his only qualifications was having read a couple of studies by other doctors. His arguments were soley based on his own opinions and biases with absolutely zero facts to back them up.Under David Boies examination all of Blankenhorns arguments blew away like dust in the wind and at several points he even irritated the judge by his resistance to answering the questions. Blankenhorn eventually ended up admitting that we would be "more American" if we allowed same-sex marriage. The end result being that a combative witness for the defense, under examination, ended up making the case for us that marriage equality is a GOOD thing....thanks David!
The Usual Suspects:
Good As You Twitter Feed
Pam's House Blend Twitter Feed
The Advocates Twitter Feed
Courage Campaigns Liveblog ( The Trial Tracker )
Firedog Lake's Liveblog
i have to agree that the defense witnessess did as much for our case as the (really excellent) prosecution witnesses.
ReplyDeleteThey really did expose themselves.
That David guy actually admitted that we'd be more American by allowing gay-marriage?! O,o
ReplyDeleteDid he have a change of heart? Or did he unknowingly say something incriminating?
Sometimes when I daydream I fantasize about what it'd be like if I were to infiltrate in 1 of these anti-gay marriage organizations, get in the public limelight at a key moment, and then suddenly have a "change of heart" and completely sabotage all the haters' case/operations. But to have it kind of happen on its own and for real is well...amazing!
Not to be negative, but I still sort of fear even with all these crazies being exposed, logic and facts won't count nearly as much as it should when it eventually gets appealed (under the timid assumption that we "win" this)
As empty and hypocritical as the "marriage is made for procreation" argument was, it still was used as the justification for allowing discrimination. The slippery slope type arguments, as lame as they are, can easily be used as political scapegoat excuses to maintain the status quo
Thanks for keeping us up to date on all this B!
It happened through David Boies relentless questioning of Mr. Blankenhorns methods by which he drew his conclusions. Boies litterally grilled him and under question HOW he arrived at his conclusion at why gay marriage is wrong the line of questioning started coming around to WHY...thats when it all fell apart.
ReplyDelete