A California judge has struck down a ludicrous ballot initiative which proposed legalizing the killing of gay people.
The Sodomite Suppression Act was filed on February 24 by Matthew McLaughlin, a Huntington Beach resident. It called for “any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.β The author noted thatΒ βbuggeryβ is an βabominable crime against nature,β and as such, βoffenders should die rather than that all of us should be killed by Godβs just wrath.β
Thankfully — and as expected — SacramentoΒ County Superior Court Judge Raymond Cadei has told the state’s attorney general not to proceed with the ballot initiative. She stated that it would be “inappropriate, waste public resources, generate unnecessary divisions among the public and tend to mislead the electorate.” If Cadei had allowed the initiative to proceed, which is inconceivable given its unconstitutional and unconscionable premise, McLaughlin would have had to gather 366,000 signatures to bring the measure to voters.
“This proposed act is the product of bigotry, seeks to promote violence, is patently unconstitutional and has no place in a civil society,βΒ California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet itβs crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wonβt 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 weekβs 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!
You must be logged in to post a comment.