US Supreme Court judge says gay marriage ruling should be ‘reconsidered’
Justice Clarence Thomas gave his opinion after overturning abortion rights in the US.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Wiki Commons and Pexels
A US Supreme Court Judge has said that rulings over gay marriage and same-sex relationships should be “reconsidered” after overturning abortion rights in the United States.
Justice Clarence Thomas gave his opinion after striking down Roe vs Wade, the landmark ruling which protected a woman’s right to an abortion, on Friday (24 June) It follows a leak of a draft opinion on Roe that appeared in May.
In a concurring opinion to the one on abortion rights Thomas, a conservative voice on the US Supreme Court said that Lawrence V. Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodge – rulings that impact the right to same-sex relationships, and the right to same-sex marriage – should be looked at in the future.
He said: “any substantive due process decision is ‘demonstrably erroneous’,” and “we have a duty to ‘correct the error’ established in those precedents.”
Clarence Thomas just said the court should now go after gay marriage, birth control, and the basic right to privacy. Notably absent: interracial marriage.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 24, 2022
Jim Obergefell, one of the plaintiffs in the historic Obergefell v. Hodge case, told People Magazine that Thomas is “not the Supreme Deity.”
“Clarence Thomas is a Supreme Court justice appointed by humans, he is not the Supreme Deity. The millions of loving couples who have the right to marriage equality to form their own families do not need Clarence Thomas imposing his individual twisted morality upon them.
“If you want to see an error in judgment, Clarence Thomas, look in the mirror.”
Thomas’ concurring opinion brings to life the fears many had following May’s leak of the draft opinion that gay marriage would be next on the table.
Both Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Biden warned as such with the latter saying, “Mark my words: They are going to go after the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage.”
The Attitude July/August issue is out now.