Monday, May 19, 2014

Change in Oregon


RULING.pdf via a Federal District Court on Oregon Marriage has some personal notes in it. The judge is my younger brother. He reminds us how it once was:

"Generations of Americans, my own included, were raised in a world in which homosexuality was believed to be a moral perversion, a mental disorder, or a mortal sin. I remember that one of the more popular playground games of my childhood was called 'smear the queer' and it was played with great zeal and without a moment's thought to political correctness."

"On a darker level, that same worldview led to an environment of cruelty, violence, and self-loathing. It was but 1986 when the United States Supreme Court justified, on the basis of a 'millennia of moral teaching,' the imprisonment of gay men and lesbian women who engaged in consensual sexual acts."

3 comments:

Lockwood said...

Your brother's decision was eloquent and moving. I have a pair of friends who will be married Thursday, thanks to him. They got their license yesterday, but Beton County has a 3-day waiting period for (all) marriages. Please forward my thanks, appreciation, and admiration to Michael.

Lockwood said...

Umm, Benton County.

Jonathan Holbert said...

We’re so excited about your brother’s ruling! Now, we can visit Oregon without worrying about being legal strangers. Would you mind sharing our appreciation with him?