Gay Marriage Judge's Personal Life Debated

[kpete]

Source: CBS

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6, 2010
Gay Marriage Judge's Personal Life Debated
Speculation Surrounds Judge Vaughn Walker's Sexual Orientation, but Relevance to Ruling, Appeal is Questionable

(AP) The federal judge who overturned California's same-sex marriage ban this week is a Republican who once came under fire for his membership to a powerful all-male club that had only recently allowed blacks to join.

But after Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker struck down the voter-approved ban known as Proposition 8, he became something else in the minds of some: a gay activist.

Rumors have circulated for months that Walker is gay, fueled by the blogosphere and a San Francisco Chronicle column that stated his sexual orientation was an "open secret" in legal and gay activism circles.

Walker himself hasn't addressed the speculation, and he did not respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday. Lawyers in the case, including those defending the ban, say the judge's sexuality - gay or straight - was not an issue at trial and will not be a factor on appeal

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/national/main6749127.shtml

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Walker Rocks!

[Cant trust em]

1. If he's gay and rules against Prop 8, that means he must be biased

If was straight, and ruled in favor of Prop 8, that means he must be objective.

I guess that's the logic here.

[Tempest]

2. The defendant's lawyers say it's a non-issue

Just more manufactured outrage by the right wing.

[davidinalameda]

11. you hit it directly on the head

[cate94]

3. You are right, Walker rocks!

It shouldn't matter what his orientation is as long as he is following the rule of law. I have read various people's analysis and most agree that it is a very well thought out opinion. The reason the right wing loons are bringing up the fact that Walker MAY be gay is proof that they can't find a thread to pick at in the opinion itself.

[Botany]

4. Judge Walker ruled was based on the law not his sexuality

You know evidence, testimony, and legal statutes this is non story and this just goes to show you that
those opposed to gay rights are bigoted about gays and are comfortable thinking of gays as "less people."

BTW he was picked to be on the Federal bench by H.W. Bush.

[kestrel91316]

5. So what if he is????? The argument that he shouldn't have been allowed

to preside over and rule on this case because he's gay (and we all know that is what this is about) gets a giant FAIL. Judges who are female should not have to recuse themselves in cases involving the rights of any or all women. Same for MEN. Same for Catholics or Christians or Jews or agnostics or Muslims or whatever. Same for just about every other human condition.

Recusals are for when one has a clear bias that will interfere with a fair decision, such as when one has a financial incentive to rule in a particular way. THAT definitely doesn't happen enough. particularly when it comes to certain members of the USSC.

[wysimdnwyg]

6. OK, so IF Walker is gay, he's biased

Doesn't the logic behind that reasoning also apply if he's straight? By their logic, the two sides of the debate are if you're gay you want Prop 8 overturned, and if you're straight you want Prop 8 upheld. Doesn't that make anyone, straight or gay, inherently biased?

You can feel the stupid intensifying.

[jberryhill]

8. No. Straight White Men Are Normal. Everyone Else Is Biased

And before you react, please understand, I am a straight white man, so I can be objective and impartial about this sort of thing.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. yup. when you are the majority, you are normal. and as we all know normal people are not biased

:)

[jberryhill]

13. No, Straight White Men Are An Oppressed Minority

Which is one of the things that makes us so objective and impartial about this kind of thing.

We have to endure the daily pain of stereotypes just like the canard that we are a majority.

That renders straight white men to be remarkably clear headed about that sort of thing.

This decision is a perfect example of the kind of thing that has been eroding the rights of straight white men. The judge fails to recognize our freedom to live in a country where we can be sure gay folks are not getting married.

Take women, for example. They keep going on about a right to get an abortion, albeit in high pitched irritating female voices. They refuse to recognize that men STILL don't have that right.

I went to a so-called "reproductive health clinic" last week and I said, "I'd like an abortion."

They just gave me funny looks and eventually called the police to remove me from the premises.

Meanwhile, WOMEN could walk in and get them.

How can you call that equality when women have these "special rights"?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. ...

:rofl: :applause:

[defendandprotect]

7. So we can junk all rulings by male hetereosexuals . . .? Like all of Congress?

And much of the last hundreds of years of the Supreme Court?

Good -- !!

[AlbertCat]

12. So we can junk all rulings by male hetereosexuals

Obviously, only humans can judge things human. So any rulings involving livestock.... say chickens, must be ruled on by chickens. ( I dunno what's gonna happen when we get to all the obviously upcoming "Man on Dog" cases!!!! Ruled by a man or a dog?)

Any ruling by a 50 year old is bias against anyone NOT 50 years old. Cases involving children must be ruled upon by other children. (we found an job for the GOP!)

Of course this also means only scientists can rule on scientific matters. Thank goodness!

[apnu]

9. These right-wing people have no morals

Its SOP now that when something happens you don't like (be it a law, vote, election or judicial decision) they immediately attack the people involved in the event personally. They belittle them, humiliate them, and attack their character. None of which, rarely, has anything at all to do with the event in question.

This is the very opposite of Christ's teachings, which the right claims to live buy. It is disgusting.

[Retrograde]

15. By that logic

if a case on abortion comes up before the Supreme Court wouldn't all the Catholic justices have to recuse themselves?

[awoke_in_2003]

News flash...

the greatest Civil Rights leader is American history was black. Oh Noes1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1

[awoke_in_2003]

16. News flash...

the greatest Civil Rights leader is American history was black. Oh Noes1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1

[David__77]

17. And non-white judges can't rule on affirmative action? Latinos on immigration matters?

So only white, non-disabled, heterosexual males can be judges?