Pro-Gay Marriage Lawyers: ‘No One Really Offered A Defense’ For ‘Awful Discrimination’ Against Gay Americans
Attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, two lawyers who found themselves arguing against one another in Bush v. Gore, are today working together as they delivered oral arguments before the Supreme Court in favor of overturning California’s 2008 ban on same-sex marriage. Following the conclusion of arguments, the pair spoke to the press and said that they could not be sure how the Court would rule. However, Boise said, there is hope for gay marriage supporters because the defense’s argument did rest on the merits of the law itself.
“I think the most remarkable thing that happened in there was that there was no attempt to defend the ban on gay and lesbian marriage,” Boise said. “All that was said in there was that this important constitutional right ought to be decided at the state level as opposed to the federal government.”
Boise said that this argument is flawed because the federal Constitution confers rights to all Americans which cannot be taken away by the states. “And so, when we are now down simply to the question of how do you establish marriage equality, I think you can see how far we’ve come in the last few years,” Boise said.
“No one really offered a defense for the awful discrimination that takes place when gay and lesbian citizens are not denied the right, given to everyone else, to have their family relationship recognized and respected equally,” Olson agreed.
Watch the clip below via MSNBC:
