MINNESOTA: "Family Values" Group Denied Standing In Marriage Suit

[WillParkinson]

MINNESOTA: "Family Values" Group Denied Standing In Marriage Suit

Via a press release from Marry Me Minnesota, we learn of a positive development that took place last week.

On November 24th, Minnesota Fourth District Court Judge Mary S. DuFrense denied a motion by the Minnesota Family Council to intervene as defendants against a lawsuit brought by three same same-sex couples and one minor child to strike down Minnesota laws that deny marriage equality. In her rebuff to the Minnesota Family Council and its multi-million dollar backers in the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, Judge DuFrense held that the Council's "strong feelings" and "purely ideological" interest in the lawsuit do not give it standing in court. "We appreciate the Judge's decision to deny the Minnesota Family Council's motion and believe it ensures that our case will be decided on its merits, without the interference of anti-gay ideologues," said, Douglas Benson, Executive Director of Marry Me Minnesota, a non-profit organization formed by the litigating gay couples. The couples' lead attorney, Peter J. Nickitas of Minneapolis, declared, "This decision is a great victory for the plaintiffs and their families, marriage equality, and the integrity of the court system."

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/11/minnesota-family-values-group-denied.html

[joeybee12]

1. They're not anti-gay idealogues, they're anti-gay bigots...

or anti-gay assholes.

[MineralMan]

2. Excellent decision.

Hope continues.

[HillWilliam]

3. Kick and Rec 5 n/t

[zigzagzed]

4. "Red State" Family Values

Good for Judge DuFrense! Groups such as the Minnesota Family Council have never articulated how same-sex marriages undermine traditional marriages. Do they expect there to be a rash of divorces so the wives can marry women and the husbands can marry men? Do they believe that there will be fewer heterosexual marriages, because young couples are only marrying due to societal pressures? Perhaps the family-values groups should take a hard look at themselves. Why do Red States have higher divorce rates than Blue States? Why do Red States have more unwed teen mothers than Blue States? Post hoc ergo propter hoc. We probably can’t say that conservatism leads to weaker families, but there seems to be a correlation.

[racaulk]

5. Fantastic!!!

K&R!

[MNBrewer]

6. We may get marriage equality in MN after all

i thought it was dead for a while because the Republicans took over the legislature, but maybe not.