The New Jersey Politics of Marriage Equality: Mayor Cory Booker calls it like it is, And Good News From 9th Circut Court of Appeals: CA's Prop 8 is Unconsitutional!

This video clip is awesome.

Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey, shares his thoughts on New Jersey Governor Christie's idea to put marriage equality in their state up to a popular vote:





He talks about the shame that our country still has second-class citizens, and says,

"Thank God, Jackie Robinson, wasn't a popular vote on whether he should join and be a professional baseball player."

Well said, sir!

And this news broke yesterday: the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that

Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for “laws of this sort.”

You can read the full text of the court's decision here.  And in the American Foundation for Equal Rights press conference yesterday they explained the next steps... including their plan to argue against the stay continuing, which might open up gay marriages in California again, as the case makes it's possible way to the US Supreme Court.

We'll be watching developments closely, but to paraphrase Ted Olsen (one of the lawyers heading up the case FOR gay marriage),  it's hard to over-state the significance of this ruling.

Namaste,
Lee

ps - my thanks to Cay for sharing the Mayor Booker video with me!