The White House refused to weigh in Tuesday on the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the case challenging California’s Proposition 8.
At a press briefing this afternoon, White House press secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on the administration’s stance on the Proposition 8 case nor some of the broader questions raised by the case, including whether the Constitution protects the rights of same-sex couples to marry. Carney would not say what President Barack Obama’s reaction was to the high court taking up the Proposition 8 case or the Defense of Marriage Act case surrounding Edith Windsor.
METRO WEEKLY: Jay, will the administration take a public stance on the Proposition 8 case that was taken up by the Supreme Court on Friday, in particular some of the broader questions raised by that case, including whether or not the Constitution protects the rights of same-sex couples to marry?
CARNEY: Well, I appreciate the question, but for comment on the court’s actions on that case I would point you to the Department of Justice. As you know the administration is not a party to this case and I just have nothing more for you on it.
MW: Did the president have any reaction to the court taking up the DOMA or the Prop. 8 case?
CARNEY: I have nothing more for you on that. Appreciate it.
Although the Obama administration has been clear in its views regarding DOMA since announcing in February 2011 that the Justice Department would no longer defend in court the discriminatory 1996 law on the grounds that Section 3, which forbids federal recognition of same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional, the administration has been far less vocal about any views related to the Proposition 8 case.
The Justice Department has refused to comment on Friday’s Supreme Court activity, although reports suggest that plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case plan to lobby the administration to file a brief with the Supreme Court in their favor.
During a Dec. 7 conference call with reporters shortly after the Supreme Court announced it would take up the Proposition 8 case, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, Ted Olson, urged the Obama administration to make its position known.
“I would hate to predict what the United States government is doing, but given the stand the president of the United States and the attorney general of the United States made with respect to marriage equality, we would certainly hope that they would participate,” Olson said. “And I’m quite confident that if they did participate that they would support our position in this case that the denial of equal rights is subject to close scrutiny by the courts and cannot withstand that scrutiny. It’s a denial of rights, and it’s quite clear that it is.”
Although Obama has said he opposed California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state’s Constitution in 2008 to ban same-sex marriage after already granting that right to same-sex couples, he has not addressed the broader issues raised in the rulings against Proposition 8, in particular whether he believes the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from banning same-sex marriage.
Advocates have argued that a public stance from the Obama administration would aid their cause and fuel the political climate that can affect the opinions of justices seeking to be on the right side of history.
[Photo: The White House (Credit: Justin Snow/Metro Weekly).]
In her first televised interview since her 2020 confirmation, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared on CBS Sunday Morning to promote her new book, offering only vague commentary to hostĀ Norah OāDonnell in defense of the Courtās legitimacy when asked whether justices might overturn Obergefell v. Hodges.
Barrett was pressed on recent remarks from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who toldĀ the Raging Moderates podcast that the Court will likely ādo to gay marriage what they did to abortionā and āsend it back to the states.ā
Back in May, just after our 31st anniversary, I asked readers which of four classic cover interviews from our early years they'd like to see in print again: Greg Louganis (March 9, 1995), Sir Ian McKellen (Jan. 25, 1996), Camille Paglia (Feb. 1, 1996), or Eartha Kitt (Nov. 14, 1996). None of these conversations exist online, and they haven't been seen since their original print dates.
Out of more than 200 responses, 8% chose Paglia, 27% picked Louganis, 29% went for McKellen, and an impressive 36% cast their vote for Kitt.
Kitt, who passed away in December 2008, seemed a fitting choice to revisit. A pop culture icon for her turn as the second Catwoman (following Julie Newmar) on the late-1960s, camp-classic TV series Batman, she was slated to appear at Washington's legendary jazz nightclub Blues Alley when we spoke.
Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, is reportedly undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Collins made headlines more than a decade ago when he came out publicly in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated.
The 41-year-old former center earned All-American honors at Stanford before being drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2001. Over his 13-year career, he played for several NBA teams, including the New Jersey Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet itās crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wonāt you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each weekās magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
At a press briefing this afternoon, White House press secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on the administration’s stance on the Proposition 8 case nor some of the broader questions raised by the case, including whether the Constitution protects the rights of same-sex couples to marry. Carney would not say what President Barack Obama’s reaction was to the high court taking up the Proposition 8 case or the Defense of Marriage Act case surrounding Edith Windsor.
