By Lisa Keen
JUDGE SAYS NO TO NOM: U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane yesterday denied the National Organization for Marriage motion to serve as intervenor to defend Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage. McShane, who is openly gay, held a hearing on two consolidated lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the ban. Because the state attorney general said her office could not vouch for the ban's constitutionality, no one argued in its defense. McShane is expected to issue his decision on that issue soon and, if he finds it unconstitutional, same-sex couples may be able to obtain marriage licenses right away. NOM has said it will appeal McShane's ruling on the intervenor motion to the Ninth Circuit.
IDAHO RUSHES TO APPEAL FOR STAY: Idaho Governor Butch Otter is also on his way to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Otter is appealing the decision Wednesday by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale to deny his request that she stay her decision striking the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Dale's ruling on the ban, issued Tuesday, will go into effect Friday morning unless Otter is able to secure a stay from the federal appeals court.
ARKANSAS COMPLICATIONS: The Arkansas Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition from the state's attorney general for an emergency stay of a county circuit judge's May 9 ruling that two state laws banning same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. The high court said that, for procedural reasons, the supreme court does not yet have jurisdiction. Responding to the attorney general's argument that county clerks around the state are uncertain as to whether they should issues licenses or wait for the results of an appeal, the supreme court noted that Judge Chris Piazza's ruling said nothing about a separate Arkansas law "and its prohibitions against circuit and county clerks issuing same-sex marriage licenses." Jack Wagoner, an attorney for the 12 plaintiff couples, told the Arkansas Times he'd be in court today to "fix" the problem. "How can you find something unconstitutional," said Wagoner, "but not affect a statute that would require the clerks to do something unconstitutional?"
ANOTHER VOICE ON ENDA FRAILTY: Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center Executive Director Lorri Jean, speaking to "An Evening with Women" event on Saturday, had this to say about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act: "Religious freedom does not include the freedom to oppress other people. These kinds of fundamentalist forces are behind efforts to gut what laws we do have in this country that protect LGBT people from discrimination….Even our own Employment Non-Discrimination Act–the only federal law currently being proposed to protect LGBT people–includes a broad religious exemption. It was put into ENDA eight years ago, expressly to weaken it. It does not belong there today." Former NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman said Monday he thinks LGBT leaders should "pull the plug" on the current version of ENDA, saying it is "essentially a lifeless corpse."
SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE RESTORES FUNDS: The South Carolina Senate on Wednesday approved a state budget Tuesday that restores the $70,000 cut from the funding for two public universities over their use of books with positive depictions of gay people. But according to the State newspaper, the senate stipulated that the restored funds should be used to teach the constitution and other founding documents.
A DAY TO GIVE "OUT" TO LGBT COMMUNITY: Today is "Give Out Day," an event scheduled to encourage supporters of LGBT organizations to donate to them. Last year, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the event raised over $600,000, from 5,474 individuals in support of over 400 nonprofits groups across the country.
