The Supremes Take The Case

...The California Supreme Court that is..not the bouffant becoiffed divas of Motown....though it sure would make this trial alot more bearable.

When last we left Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the ninth circuit court of appeals could not..or would not...tackle the issue of whether the individuals at protectmarriage.com had legal standing to defend Prop 8 in court if the Governor and Attorney General would not. This leaves many of us wondering...where did our love go? Why could they not answer this themselves? Instead of coming to their own determination, they elected to send a certified question back to the California Supreme Court to get their official opinion on what state law says on the matter. Your may remember that they were same court who's tragic love child was upholding Prop 8 in the first place. My reaction to this was one of frustration and my reasoning for this is twofold:

Perry vs. Schwarzenegger..Ninth Circuit Appeal...Day one

Today is the day...In just a few short minutes C-SPAN will begin live coverage of the Ninth circuit appeal of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, challenging the constitution of California's Prop 8 state constiturional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

I haven't found any embeddable live feeds yet but C-SPAN does offer livestreaming on their website found..here.

The Courage Campaign is also running a live thread and chat on their Trial Tracker that can be found at prop8trialtracker.com.

Good luck everyone.

*(update)* livestream via goodasyou.org...much thanks to them for the feed.

An Excellent Prop 8 Analysis

Hello everyone,

Much has been said about Judge Walkers Prop 8 ruling. The Blogs are STILL full of posts from legal analysts, pundits, and talking heads giving their opinions about the rulling and making forcasts for the future of the case, but none has been as concise as this one from ProfMTH on Youtube. Although I don't see eye to eye with the Prof on everything he posts, I have to hand it to him on this set of videos...they are well put together and easy to understand. Watch them and you will feel like you have become a Perry v. Schwarzenegger expert....enjoy!

Bill Moyers Hosts David Boies and Ted Olson

In a recent edition of Bill  Moyers Journal, Moyers sat down with David Boies and Ted Olson attorneys representing two gay couples in the federal lawsuit against the constitutionality of Prop 8. Since no cameras have been allowed in the courtroom for the trial and in all likelyhood will continue to be banned for the closing arguments, its nice to see Olson and Boies and to hear their opinions on the status of the trail in person. Both attorneys seem very positive about succeeding, even at the Federal Supreme Court, an attitude that I find astounding as well as encouraging. So far there case has been very sharp so I have no doubt that they know their stuff.

PBS does not allow their player to be embedded in other sites so I had to find a little taste  of the interview to share with you. Below you will find a Youtube synopsis of the interview but to see it in its entirety visit PBS . The full interview is well worth the watch so I hope you will go to the PBS site and check it out.

Prop 8 Trial Reenactment...Day 1 Chapter 2

Federal Prop 8 Trial Reenactment..Day 1 Chapter 1

Well here it is...much later than I expected, but better late than never. I will post more as they become available.

Perry vs. Governator day 12...The Reckoning!

Well Almost....While this is the last day of testimony, it is not, technically, the last day of the trial. After court lets out today there will well be a recess until March...thats right...March. As if waiting for the California State Supreme Court decision wasn't bad enough, now we have to wait again for closing arguments and Judge Walker's decision.

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

Perry vs. Governator...Attack of the Cloned Campaigns

Today Prop 8 gets to call the tune and the witnesses but since we haven't heard what their game plan is we will just have to tune in and see. I for one will be donning my tinfoil hat for this event as I'm sure theit attempt to twist logic into their favor has a good chance of ripping a hole in space and time. Good luck to us all...

The usual suspects:

Good As You Twitter Feed

Pam's House Blend Twitter Feed

The Advocates Twitter Feed

Courage Campaign Liveblog (The Trial Tracker)

Firedog Lake's Liveblog

Perry vs. Governator Day 9......Plaintiffs Wrap Up

Day nine of thr trial and it has been raining great buckets here for almost as many days. While yesterday saw Tam's testimony in spite of heavy resistance by defendants. Today will see the last of the Plaintiffs witnesses take the stand. Up today is Gregory M. Herek Ph.D. A professor of Psychology at the University of California Davis. His testimony will cover the nature of sexuality and the effects of stereotypes and stigmas against gays and lesbians....should be good...if not too surprising stuff.

The Usual Suspects:

Good As You Twitter Feed

Pam's House Blend Twitter Feed

The Advocates Twitter Feed

Courage Campaign Liveblog (The Trial Tracker)

Firedog Lake Liveblog

Calling Prejudice To the Stand

Yesterdays testimonies in the Perry vs. Schwarzenegger were absolutely explosive! So much so, that I felt they were worthy of their own post rather than tacking them onto one of my Trial Link posts. The quality of witnesses that Olsen and Boies have called have been stellar. We even picked up some awsome testimony from witnesses originally signed to the Defendants (support 8's) side. It was a day of emotional revelations and bombshells...check it out with me...

Perry vs. Governator Day 8...The Wrath of Teh Gays!

Wow...day 8....where does the time go. Yesterdays testimony was action packed, what with Ryan Kendalls testimony about his family and experiences being forced to attend reparative therapy. This was followed up by some pretty damning evidence about the LDS church...but all that will be in my following regular post for the day. For now...enjoy the preview for the Trial reenactiment I have been promising and keep a close watch on this trial...

The Usual suspects:

Good As You Twitter Feed

Pam's House Blend Twitter Feed

The Advocates Twitter Feed

Courage Campaign Liveblog (The Trial Tracker)

Firedog Lakes Liveblog

This is only the teaser trailer...more to come as they are posted:

Protect the Children!

Hello everyone...My last article of the week is addressing Prop 8's third point that it was enacted to "protect children". So get out your tinfoil hats to protect you from homosexual brainwaves and lets recite Prop. 8's mantra again shall we?.... "Its all about the children!"...."Its all about the children!"

This is arguably the oldest argument used against gay and lesbian people. Its purpose is to link homosexuality to pedophilia and to cast gays as villians out to destroy innocence and the fabric of American life. It is also the flimsiest of all arguments that the Prop. 8 legal defense has made thus far, in their effort to defend the ban on allowing same-sex marriage. In reality, all that Prop. 8's defense has done so far is reiterate the same thinly vieled homophobic statements that were used during the election to scare the average citizen into voting their way. Their still using the same playbook. However, their argument only has the capacity to move the average person into believing that, somehow kids are in danger, if you first hold a certain set of assumptions. Such as...

Perry Vs. Governator part 5: The Reckoning!

Hello Trial junkies! Finally the court is reopened to the public after a closed session this morning for council to view some of the sealed documents that Prop 8 clearly does not want the public to see...but we are up and running again. Today is day five of the. potentially three week, emotional rollercoaster that is the federal prop 8 trial.  Via Firedog Lake Today will see testimony from:

* Michael Lamb, Ph.D, a Professor and Head of the Department of Social and Developmental Psychology at Cambridge University, who will testify about gay and lesbian parenting and its impact on the adjustment of children and adolescents, and the benefits to children and adolescents if their same-sex parents were allowed to marry.


* Helen Zia, a lesbian author who will testify about her sexual orientation, her experiences with discrimination, and the effects of being denied the right to marry her longtime partner.

* M.V. Lee Badgett, Ph.D., a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to testify about the private harms caused by Prop. 8 and the impact of same-sex marriage on the marriages of different-sex couples.

The usuall suspects:

Good As You Twitter feed

Pam's house Blend Twitter feed

The Advocates Twitter feed

Courage Campaign Liveblog "The Trial Tracker"

Firedog Lake's Liveblog

Updates will be posted as they become available

Two Rights don't make a Wrong

Today is day two of my series refuting the points  Prop 8's legal defense needs to make, to show that there is reasonable cause to uphold the ban on allowing gays to marry and to show that those poionts are themeselves, irrational. Point one was covered yesterday, that allowing gay's to marry would denigrate the hallowed "institution" of marriage. Todays I will take on their second assertion that, overturning Prop 8 would violate the right of the people to express their political will through a vote.

Perry vs. The Governator Part 4: Out For Justice!

After yesterdays disturbing cross-examinations I hope today offers yet more revalations about the "animus" that motivates the proponents of Prop 8....as if the lawyers line of questioning wan't enough to prove that....heh.
Heres todays liveblogg/twitter link round up:

Good As You

Pam's House Blend

The Advocate

Courage Campaign Liveblog

Firedog Lake Liveblog


More updates will be added as they come in...

Breaking news!

Just posted on the courage capaigns Liveblog, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote, has continued the stay on videotaping the proceedings indeffinitly. So Bloggers...that means its up to us to get the news out there.

Perry vs. The Governator.....Part three: With a vengeance!

Vengeance for an awfull and discriminatoy law that hopefully will go the way of the dodo. Hopefully this will be the last day of the Supreme Court injunction against filming the trial. But if and until then.....Heres todays day three twitter link reposts. I will add updates as I learn of them....

Good As You

Pams House Blend

The advocate

Courage Campaign Liveblog

And keep your thoughts a prayers out there for Haiti today everyone. I havent seen damage like this since the Sumatran Tsunami.

*update* newly found video from last nights Rachel Maddow:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*update* I recently heard that today the prop 8 defense tried to argue that gays have gotten "too politically porwerfull" in the state of California and were therefore, not subject to discrimination.

Are they serious?!....

that little nugget goes along with the one where they said Californians "have been extraordinarily generous" with us gays. I take that to be in reference to out domestic partnership laws. Pardon me but...doesn't this smack of "let them eat cake"?

Gays v. Governator part Deiux....Twitter Strikes Back!

Day Two and still no Youtube video of the trial so we are resigned to following this by Twitter until something changes. and...eventually I will have to get back to my regular blogging and stop obsessivly updating twitter pages. Yesterday Sean Chapin of Youtube was present outside the courthouse and posted his perspective on the morning rally:




To follow current happenings check out this link to Courage Campaigns Liveblog originally linked by K!r!lleXXI ....thanks Lexxi.

Good As You , Pam's House Blend , and The Advocate also have great twitter feeds to keep us all in the know.

A veritable smorgasborg of information...feel free to add if you know of a better source as I will be in total obsessional mode all day. ;)

More to come as I hear it....same bat time...same bat channel.

*update* yes only one today..the only wrap up I have found  SO FAR, is this one from Pam's House Blend. still keeping an eye out from more....till tommorow compadres...

Perry vs. The Governator.....Part One: The Youtube Banning!

Alright The Big trial begins today and since Govenor Schwarzeneggers name is attached, I cant help but cast it as a cheesy action action flick. Though there will be no care chases, explosions, or snappy catch phrases it nonetheless will have us on our seats awaiting the outcome. And who said law was dry?

Todays episode of the Governator saga is brought to us via New York Times. The Supreme Court has blocked Video coverage of the Prop. 8 trial until they can consider the judge Walker's decision to broadcast the trial via YouTube. Thats right.....THE Supreme Court, as in that U.S. one. The very same one that has been studiously avoiding anything gay marriage has moved with a vengenance to block the broadcast of the trial. The ban order will be in place until Wednesday. At least we know they are paying attention. I'm not sure if thats good or bad.

I will update this thread as I find out more. But I need your help! Please comment below with your suggestion for cheesy sequal names for future posts

*update* While Video and YouTube upload may be blocked, they haven't stopped anyone from twittering the trial....check out this feed from The Advocate. 

P.S. per Sean Chapins on the street perspective there is a HUGE crowd in front of the courthouse and a large media presense....including FOX news interestingly enough....stay tuned...

*Update2*

an additional twitter feed on Good As You ...And pictures from outside the courthouse this morning via sfgate.com

*Update3* o.k...just got home from rounding up the kids from school, going to the dentist, and a million other parental obligations...I feel totally out of touch with whats going on with this trial that will decide the fate of my family ....but hey...we can now read the detwitterized version of Ted Olson's opening argument via The American Foundation for Equal Rights. I don't think I could think of a single point he missed though some could have been emphasised a bit more. I'm all on pins and needles still...