50 years ago today, Associated Press photographer Bill Hudson took the photo above, of a civil rights protester being attacked by a police dog in Birmingham, Alabama. To go with it, here’s the edited version of the AP story from the incident, by AP reporter Don McKee. We’ve come a long way from this moment. Let’s not forget it. (via Facebook)
And he wasn’t the only one: Three other politicians who are outspokenly opposed to marriage equality voted for the “Marriage for All” bill. Guaino was mocked by his colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and subsequently changed his vote. However, it didn’t matter; the bill passed by over 100 votes and now heads François Hollande, the country’s Socialist president, who campaigned on the issue of gay marriage and will sign the bill. source
(AP) The gay marriage legislation easily passed the Rhode Island House in January, and the Senate vote was seen as the true test. The bill passed 26-12, and now returns to the House for a largely procedural vote, likely next week, before going to Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who supports the legislation.
The second piece of good news today for proponents of marriage equality. The legislation was introduced by House Speaker Gordon Fox, who himself is gay, and could take effect as soon as August 1st. Meanwhile, in Delaware, legislation legalizing marriage equality passed the state House yesterday and now heads to the senate for consideration.
Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes. Even the name of it is wonderful, the Voting Rights Act. Who’s going to vote against that?Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia • Expressing his continued disapproval of the Voting Rights Act, which the conservative-leaning judge apparently views as a “racial preferment.” Thankfully, much of the rest of the Supreme Court (and the United States as a whole, we’d wager) doesn’t seem to agree with him. source
I have come to the conclusion that our government should not limit the right to marry based on who you love…Good people disagree with me. On the other hand, my children have a hard time understanding why this is even controversial. I think history will agree with my children.Sen. Claire McCaskill, becoming the 42nd senator to support marriage equality. Extra points for making the announcement on her Tumblr
Finally, Congress will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act: The legislation, dreamed up and championed in 1994 by then-Senator Joe Biden, died in the House last year when the Republican leadership refused to put it to a vote (it had already passed the Senate). The problem, if you want to put it that way, was that Senate Democrats had modified the legislation to add protections for LGBT women, Native Americans and undocumented immigrants. John Boehner and company objected to these additions so strongly that they refused to let the House vote on it, despite indications that it would pass if they did. Today, Boehner relented, and will allow the House to vote on the bill. It’s expected to pass and will likely land on the President’s desk at the end of the week. (Photo: Getty images) source
[A] majority of the Court seems committed to invalidating Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and requiring Congress to revisit the formula for requiring preclearance of voting changes…It is unlikely that the Court will write an opinion forbidding a preclearance regime. But it may be difficult politically for Congress to enact a new measure.SCOTUSblog’s Tom Goldstein earlier this morning. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments today on Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain states with a history of voter disenfranchisement to obtain approval from the federal government before making any changes to their voting laws. One possible outcome: The court strikes down the criteria used in Section 5, but doesn’t strike down the requirement for preclearance itself. If that happens, a new criteria for preclearance would have to be constructed and enacted. And who would be responsible for that? John Boehner and Harry Reid, of course. Sigh. More on today’s arguments here. source
You don’t want to let anybody’s expectations down. People look at me like I should have been like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. I should have seen life like that and stay out of trouble, and don’t do this and don’t do that. But it’s hard to live up to some people’s expectations, which [I] wasn’t cut out to be. I didn’t go to school to be ‘Rodney King’ and [be] beat up by cops and thrust into the limelight. It’s taken years to get used to the situation I’m in in life and the weight it holds. One of the cops in the jail [in a later encounter] said: You know what? People are going to know who you are when you’re dead and gone. A hundred years from now, people are still going to be talking about you. It’s scary, but at the same time, it’s a blessing.Rodney King • Speaking in an April interview with the Los Angeles Times about his legacy, which he seemed uncomfortable with. King, who died this morning of an apparent drowning, still suffered from injuries from the beating years after the incident.
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» The opposition pulled out Bill Clinton: As you can see above, the poll (taken by Public Policy Polling) strongly suggests that same-sex marriage advocates are facing an uphill battle. Which is why the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families pulled out the former president to say this about the amendment: ”If it passes, it won’t change North Carolina’s law on marriage. What it will change is North Carolina’s ability to keep good businesses, attract new jobs and attract and keep talented entrepreneurs.” What do you guys think?
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Macon Phillips, of the Executive Office of the President, tweets this striking image of President Obama seated in the bus where Rosa Parks initiated her quest for civil rights.
Amazing pic. (EDIT: It’s worth noting the bus is currently in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., near Detroit. Thanks Margarita Noriega!)
My friends, whether they be homosexual or not, know me, and they know that I’m not bigoted.Chris Christie • Regarding his recent veto of a bill that would have legalized gay marriage in New Jersey. Politicians who oppose marriage equality use this defense a lot, because hey, it’s easy to speak on behalf of your unnamed gay friends and say that they’re cool with your anti-gay marriage views. Any of Christie’s gay friends care to come forward and confirm this? source (via • follow)
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