Court rules Tennessee's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Is Constitutional (gay people, county, elect)

[SunnyKayak]

Roane County Circuit Judge Russell E. Simmons Jr. (right) ruled that Tennessee’s same-sex marriage ban is "rationally related to state interests" and therefore does not violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause.

“Marriage simply cannot be divorced from its traditional procreative purposes... the promotion of family continuity and stability is certainly a legitimate state interest.
There is nothing irrational about limiting the institution of marriage for the purpose for which it was created, by embracing its traditional definition.
To conclude otherwise is to impose one’s own view of what a State ought to do on the subject of same-sex marriage."

[jacqueg]

Oh well, this'll be entertaining! Wonder how far up the chain this ruling will get?

[cephalopede]

Sooner or later, the Supreme Court is going to have to tackle this.

[SunnyKayak]

It would have to be Tennessee, where it's OK to marry your sister, but not your boyfriend!

[Mr. Mon]

"To conclude otherwise is to impose one’s own view of what a State ought to do on the subject of same-sex marriage."

And I bet he wrote that devoid of any sense of irony.

[0marvin0]

So much for infertile couples wanting to marry.

[jjrose]

Originally Posted by 0marvin0

So much for infertile couples wanting to marry.

Or the elderly.

[cephalopede]

Originally Posted by jjrose

Or the elderly.

No, see, those are okay because the elderly don't have sex. Old people sex, like gay people sex, is icky and we don't want to think about it. So it's a good thing intercourse stops the moment a woman hits menopause!

[SunnyKayak]

Marriage simply cannot be divorced from its traditional procreative purposes

He used the word divorced, its to bad divorce cant be voted on.

This judge was elected in heavy republican state in 1990 to ninth circuit and 2006 he was reelected unopposed.
He is retiring this year and this was probably something he wanted to speak out as one of his final rulings.

I guess this makes my die hard republican Uncle who also lives in Tennessee, 40 year marriage void since they never had children.

[biscuitmom]

County circuit judge is way low on the food chain, covers only a couple of counties.

The couple whose pending divorce was knocked down by this local ruling can either appeal or wait out the cases pending in the US Court of Appeals 6th Circuit due this fall. That's the biggie.