The Gay Thing: Chain Reaction that May End the Nevada Marriage Ban

It's funny how the decision of one corporation during the process of an unrelated lawsuit could cause a chain reaction that will likely undo Nevada's ill-begotten constitutional gay marriage ban. Poetic justice, I'd say. And a great story.

[Excerpt]

How a Single Gay Juror Brought Down Nevada’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban
 

Nevada AG Catherine Cortez Masto, image from
source, Slate

In 2011, attorneys for Abbott Laboratories dismissed a prospective juror prior to a blockbuster trial on account of his sexual orientation. Abbott’s attorneys were convinced that the juror, an openly gay man, would be prejudiced against Abbott, which had been accused of inflating the price of an HIV drug. The company’s legal opponents cried foul and litigated the dismissal. And now, thanks to that juror, Nevada just gave up on its same-sex marriage ban. . .

Read more at: Slate

The Gay Thing: Nevada Will Not Defend Gay Marriage Ban

Well, thank you, Catherine Cortez Masto! Recently, I took her to task for a baffling, insulting brief defending Nevada's ill-considered and disingenuous ban on same-sex marriage. I wrote to her and commented on her Twitter account, as did many furious marriage quality supporters. Almost immediately, Masto announced that she was going to reconsider her opinion and get back to us.

And get back to us, she did! She--and amazingly enough, our Republican Governor Brian Sandoval--have withdrawn the brief and will not defend the ban (originally known as Question 2). While this doesn't allow same-sex couples to marry, it makes the likelihood of that happening a much surer thing. Ms. Masto, you are back in my good graces!

[Excerpt]

Nevada officials won’t defend gay marriage ban

 

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced Monday that she will not try to defend Nevada’s law blocking gay marriages. She said she has filed a motion with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to withdraw her Jan. 24 brief in support of Nevada’s Defense of Marriage constitutional amendment, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Gov. Brian Sandoval, through his office, said he agrees with Masto’s legal reasoning and the law is “no longer defensible in court.” The Republican governor is a former state attorney general and federal judge. . .

 

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Gay Thing (Update): Nevada AG to Reconsider Brief Filed on Same-sex Marriage

Though I've yet to receive a reply to my letter from Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, I'd like to think I had something to do with her change of heart on the brief she filed to the 9th Circuit Court of appeals.  Gay Nevadans and their friends, family and supporters were aghast at Masto's brief which used extremely derogatory language, and was out of date and out of step with recent court decisions and legal actions in regard to marriage equality.

I'm hopeful that Masto has either gotten the message, or even more hopefully, that she wasn't directly responsible for some of the objectionable language. And here's hoping that her "reconsideration" leads to a reversal of her original brief. Counting on you, girl.

[Excerpt]

Cortez Masto to reconsider gay marriage brief
 
After blowback from progressives near and far, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto says she will reconsider her brief on gay marriage. Amazing. Check it out. . .

Read more at: Ralston Reports

The Gay Thing: Nevada AG Defends Discriminatory Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

Nevada's Democratic Attorney General, Catherine Cortez Masto, is defending Nevada's state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. As a person who voted for her (probably more than once), this makes me a little flabbergasted. Masto has a reputation for standing firm for what she believes in. And apparently what she believes in is comparing gay couples' relationships to incest and polygamy. Nice.

Image from source, Washington Blade

Nevada's constitutional amendment was dreamed up by a distasteful wanna-be politician named Richard Ziser, riding the early part of the anti-gay marriage amendment wave that swept the country during the early 2000s. The amendment had to be voted on twice, two years apart, and both times passed handily, based on the utterly disingenuous campaigns waged by Ziser. Remember, this is Nevada, a state with legal prostitution, quickie weddings and quickie divorces. We have slot machines in grocery stores and the quickie mart. You can get married by an Elvis impersonator at a drive-thru wedding chapel. At at the time of the amendment votes, we had the Who Wants to Marry a Multi-millionaire show from the MGM Grand, where the prize was a spouse. And of course who could forget Britney Spears' 3-day marriage, which occurred (annulment included) here in Las Vegas.

So, spare me the talk of the "sanctity of marriage," in Nevada. Particularly spare me any talk of sanctity or other religious terms when we're talking about civil marriage, not "holy matrimony." If there's anyplace pro-marriage equality activists have missed the boat, it was in shutting down any and all talk of religion, sanctity, blessed, holy, "God ordained," or any other such terms in a discussion about a legal contract. But I digress. . .

I'm want to do this when I get on this subject, because it personally affects me. I've been married to The Other Half for five and a half years, having tied the knot in Palm Springs when it was first legal. We are now legally married according to the IRS, and in 17 states plus Washington DC. We can drive 45 minutes to the California state line, and we're married! Back here in Nevada: roommates, under the law. And I expected Ms. Masto to be on my side.

I've written to Masto, and will post any response I get, provided it isn't merely a form letter.

[Excerpt]
 
Nevada AG invokes bigamy, incest to defend marriage ban

Ask the attorney general of Nevada about the definition of marriage, and she’ll tell you it doesn’t include the union of a same-sex couple. But in the same breath, she’ll tell you it also doesn’t include incest or bigamy either. . .

Read more at: The Washington Blade