The New York Times: on Civil Rights
Anthony Kennedy:
No longer deny gays the profound liberty of marriage
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. "No longer may this liberty be denied," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority
in the historic decision. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and signs of resistance--or at least stalling--in others.
It came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions.
The court's four more liberal justices joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Anthony Kennedy:
Living Constitution: apply 14th amendment to gay marriage
Justice Kennedy was the author of all three of the Supreme Court's previous gay rights landmarks. The latest decision came exactly two years after his majority opinion in United States v. Windsor, which struck down a federal law denying benefits to
married same-sex couples, and exactly 12 years after his majority opinion in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down laws making gay sex a crime.In all of those decisions, Justice Kennedy embraced a vision of a living Constitution, one that evolves with
societal changes. "The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times," he wrote in Obergefell v. Hodges. "The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent
of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning."
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Antonin Scalia:
Showy profundities on gay marriage are profoundly incoherent
In dissent [in the Supreme Court ruling which legalizes gay marriage nationwide], Justice Antonin Scalia mocked the soaring language of Justice Kennedy, who has become the nation's most important judicial champion of gay rights: "The opinion is
couched in a style that is as pretentious as its content is egotistic," Justice Scalia wrote of his colleague's work. "Of course the opinion's showy profundities are often profoundly incoherent."Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority, "No
longer may this liberty be denied. No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family.
In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Antonin Scalia:
Everyone in history, until 15 years ago, understood marriage
[Justice Kennedy wrote in legalizing gay marriage], "The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a
charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning."This drew a withering response from Justice Scalia, a proponent of reading the original understanding of Constitution. His dissent was joined by Justice Thomas.
marriage to one man and one woman is contrary to reason; they know that an institution as old as government itself, and accepted by every nation in history until 15 years ago, cannot possibly be supported by anything other than ignorance or bigotry."
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Elena Kagan:
Concurred on no longer deny gays the right to marriage
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. "No longer may this liberty be denied," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority
in the historic decision. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and signs of resistance--or at least stalling--in others. It came
against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions.
Justice Elena Kagan, among the court's four more liberal justices, joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
John Roberts:
Constitution says nothing about marriage OR gay marriage
In dissent [in the Supreme Court ruling which legalizes gay marriage nationwide], Chief Justice John Roberts said the Constitution had nothing to say on the subject of same-sex marriage. "If you are among the many Americans--of whatever sexual
orientation--who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision," Chief Justice Roberts wrote. "Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner.
Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it."Roberts said the majority opinion was "an act of will, not legal judgment" in his dissent. "The court invalidates the marriage laws of
more than half the states and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen & the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians & the Aztecs," he wrote. "Just who do we think we are?
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
Concurred on no longer deny gays the right to marriage
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. "No longer may this liberty be denied," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority
in the historic decision. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and signs of resistance--or at least stalling--in others. It came
against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among the court's four more liberal justices, joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Sonia Sotomayor:
Concurred on no longer deny gays the right to marriage
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. "No longer may this liberty be denied," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority
in the historic decision. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and signs of resistance--or at least stalling--in others. It came
against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, among the court's four more liberal justices, joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Stephen Breyer:
Concurred on no longer deny gays the right to marriage
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. "No longer may this liberty be denied," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority
in the historic decision. "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were."
The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and signs of resistance--or at least stalling--in others. It came
against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions.
Justice Stephen Breyer, among the court's four more liberal justices, joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 SCOTUS decision on Obergefell v. Hodges
Jun 27, 2015
Rick Perry:
Would attend same-sex marriage of a family member
Perry opposes same-sex marriage, but said recently that he "probably would"
attend a same-sex marriage of a family member.
Source: N.Y. Times 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jun 4, 2015
Bobby Jindal:
Institution of marriage existed long before our laws existed
Rick Santorum said he would never attend a same-sex wedding. Marco Rubio said he might attend one. Scott Walker actually went to a same-sex wedding reception, not to be confused with an actual same-sex wedding ceremony. Ted Cruz said he is firmly opposed
to gay marriage, but would be comfortable if his daughter were gay.The more conservative members of this Republican field--among them Sen. Cruz; Sen. Santorum; Gov. Bobby Jindal; and Gov. Mike Huckabee--have aggressively emphasized their opposition
to same-sex marriage. For them, the issue can be used to differentiate themselves not just from Democrats but from mainstream Republicans, like Jeb Bush, who is trying to appeal to a broader audience with an eye to the general election.
Jindal
was critical of Republican lawmakers in Indiana and Arkansas who backed down on laws that proponents say protect religious freedom, while Rubio declared that "the institution of marriage as one man and one woman existed long before our laws existed."
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition summit
Apr 26, 2015
Rick Santorum:
I would never attend a same-sex wedding
Rick Santorum said he would never attend a same-sex wedding. Marco Rubio said he might attend one. Scott Walker actually went to a same-sex wedding reception, not to be confused with an actual same-sex wedding ceremony. Ted Cruz said he is firmly opposed
to gay marriage, but would be comfortable if his daughter were gay.The more conservative members of this Republican field--among them Cruz; Santorum; and Bobby Jindal--have aggressively emphasized their opposition to same-sex marriage.
For them, the issue can be used to differentiate themselves not just from Democrats but from mainstream Republicans, like Jeb Bush, who is trying to appeal to a broader audience with an eye to the general election.
Support for same-sex marriage is
increasing among Republican voters, but it is still a minority view. That creates a split between conservative Republicans looking to win a primary, and candidates seeking to win a primary without carrying too much baggage into a general election.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition summit
Apr 26, 2015
Ted Cruz:
Pray against a court decision legalizing same-sex marriage
Rick Santorum said he would never attend a same-sex wedding. Marco Rubio said he might attend one. Scott Walker actually went to a same-sex wedding reception, not to be confused with an actual same-sex wedding ceremony.
Ted Cruz said he is firmly opposed to gay marriage, but would be comfortable if his daughter were gay.The more conservative members of this Republican field--among them Sen. Cruz; Sen. Santorum; Gov. Bobby Jindal; and
Gov. Mike Huckabee--have aggressively emphasized their opposition to same-sex marriage. For them, the issue can be used to differentiate themselves not just from Democrats but from mainstream Republicans, like Jeb Bush, who is trying to
appeal to a broader audience with an eye to the general election.
Cruz said advocates of traditional marriage should "fall to our knees and pray" against a court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2015 Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition summit
Apr 26, 2015
Scott Walker:
2013: same-sex marriage issue over; 2015: issue not settled
The governor is stressing a much harder line on social issues than he did just a few months ago, when he faced a robust challenge from a well-funded Democratic woman in his run for re-election as governor. The shift in emphasis and tone is noticeable on
same-sex marriage, an issue of intense interest to social conservatives. In 2013, Walker argued that Republicans, to win back the White House, must not become distracted from a focus on fiscal issues.
Asked about same-sex marriage, he said, "I don't talk about it at all."
Last fall, after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal to preserve Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage, Walker conceded, "For us, it's over in Wisconsin."
During the meeting with Iowa Christian conservative leaders last month, when the same issue arose, he struck a different posture. One attendee reported that Walker said the issue is not settled.
Source: N.Y. Times, "Woo Christian conservatives," by J. Martin
Feb 23, 2015
Jeb Bush:
Don't-ask-don't-tell ok if it doesn't affect policy
Bush was less of a hard-liner when a gay Floridian hoping to win a job in Bush's administration gently asked if his sexual orientation would present a problem."On the other stuff, don't ask, don't tell is fine with me," Bush responded, appropriating
the terminology Pres. Clinton used regarding gays in the military. "What you do in your private life is your business. If it crosses over into the public policy realm, then that is another matter. If you are comfortable with that, then we can proceed."
Source: N.Y. Times 2014 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Dec 24, 2014
Chris McDaniel:
As host of Right Side Radio, railed against hip-hop culture
As host of "Right Side Radio" in the mid-2000s, McDaniel railed against hip-hop culture, referred to Mexican "mamacitas," poked fun at gay people, and derided a female candidate who he said was "basically using her boobies" to win. Critics, seizing on
those comments--and his appearance last June before the Sons of Confederate Veterans group--have attacked him as a racist, a sexist and antigay. His political speeches, though more subtle, evoke echoes of an earlier era, when 1960s segregationists
whipped up fears of outsiders, some scholars say."Millions in this country feel like strangers in this land--you recognize that, don't you?" he told an audience of farmers in Covington County. "An older America passes away, a new America rises to take
its place. We recoil from that culture. It's foreign to us. It's offensive to us."
[His supporters] see a candidate who grew up steeped in his Baptist faith, surrounded--and influenced by--the history and traditions of the rural South.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2014 Mississippi Senate race
Jun 13, 2014
Elizabeth Warren:
We need a reliable vote for equal pay for equal work
As in their previous two debates, Warren cast Brown as an unreliable vote on women's issues, though she did so more crisply than before. In a direct appeal to women, she said that when Brown had the chance to vote for equal pay for equal work, he voted
no; when he had the chance to vote for employers and insurers to pay for coverage for contraception, he voted no; when he had the chance to vote for a Supreme Court justice who supported abortion rights, he voted no. "The women of
Massachusetts need a senator they can count on--not some of the time but all of the time," she said. Whether abortion remains legal, she said, "may hang in the balance." Brown shot back that "I didn't vote for your boss," a reference to
Justice Elena Kagan, who was dean of the Harvard Law School. He said Kagan didn't have the requisite judicial experience.
Source: N.Y. Times on 2012 Mass. Senate debates
Oct 11, 2012
Sarah Palin:
Vetoed bill denying benefits to gays, as unconstitutional
Ms. Palin said she supported Alaska’s decision to amend its Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. But she used her first veto as governor to block a bill that would have prohibited the state from granting health benefits to same-sex partners of
public employees. Ms. Palin said she vetoed the bill because it was unconstitutional, but raised the possibility of amending the state Constitution so the ban could pass muster.
Source: N.Y. Times, pp. A1&A10 on Alaska Voting Records HB4001
Aug 29, 2008
Page last updated: May 20, 2019