Same-Sex Marriage, Gender and the Prop 8 Ruling
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If women are equal under the law, then bans on same-sex marriage are state-approved discrimination. We look at that and other arguments used by a federal judge to throw out Proposition 8 in California and set off arguments we’ll be hearing for a long time. Also, the House interrupts its six-week recess to vote on money to states, and girls may be reaching puberty earlier than before. We look at the possible reasons and the challenges.
Banner image: Robin Tyler (2nd R) and Diane Olson (R), the first lesbian couple to have legally married in California, attend a rally to celebrate the ruling to overturn Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010 in West Hollywood, California. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Making News
House Vote on Money to States ()
The House of Representatives has rushed back to Capitol Hill, interrupting a six-week recess for a one-day session expected to approve a bill passed by the Senate late last week. It would provide governors and other state officials with $26 billion to help stave off painful cuts to public services. Ross Eisenbrey is vice president of the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think-tank.
Guests:
- Ross Eisenbrey: Vice President, Economic Policy Institute
Links:
Main Topic
Same-Sex Marriage, Tradition and the Status of Women ()
If women are equal under the law, then a ban on same-sex marriage is legalized discrimination. That was part of last week's ruling against Proposition 8 in California. Federal Judge Vaughn Walker relied more on the women's movement than he did on gay rights. Are his arguments likely to fly in the US Supreme Court? Is marriage a union of equals? What about the basic traditions of major religions? Are voters wrong to assert those values over the strict rules of law? Should the tyranny of the majority prevail over minority rights? Should such decisions be made by judges or by the political process? We look at some of the basic disputes set off by Walker's decision as it begins the long road through the federal courts.
Guests:
- Dahlia Lithwick: Legal Correspondent, Slate, @Dahlialithwick
- Audrey Bilger: Professor of Literature and Gender Studies, Claremont McKenna College, @AudreyBilger
- Brian Brown: Executive Director, National Organization for Marriage
- William May: Chairman, Catholics for the Common Good, @ccgaction
- Jonathan Rauch: Guest Scholar, Brookings Institution, @BrookingsInst
Links:
- Lithwick on Walker's ruling as 'factual, well-reasoned, and powerful'
- Bilger on post-Prop 8, a more feminist world
- Governor Schwarzenegger's brief opposing motion to stay ruling on Prop 8
- Attorney General Jerry Brown on Prop 8 ruling
- Rauch's 'Gay Marriage: Why It's Good for Gays, Good for Straights and Good for America'
Reporter's Notebook
Girls Hitting Puberty Earlier than Ever ()
A flood of reports over the past ten years have raised heated debate about whether girls are reaching puberty earlier than they used to. Why is that happening? What are the challenges for girls with a child's mind in a woman's body? What are the functions of obesity, exposure to industrial chemicals and race? Those are just some of the issues being debated by scientists according to a new study reported in the New York Times. Denise Grady wrote the story.
Guests:
- Denise Grady: Reporter, New York Times
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