Federal Judge: Ohio Must Recognize Same-Sex Marriage Performed in Maryland

A great day for America -- Justice Antonin Scalia knew this was going to happen:

A federal judge in Ohio ordered state officials Monday to recognize the marriage of two men that was performed in Maryland on the death certificate of an Ohio resident in hospice care who the judge says “is certain to die soon.”

“The end result here and now is that the local Ohio Registrar of death certificates is hereby ORDERED not to accept for recording a death certificate for John Arthur that does not record Mr. Arthur’s status at death as ‘married’ and James Obergefell as his ‘surviving spouse,’” 

Judge Timothy Black wrote in granting the couple a temporary restraining order Monday. The order is in effect until 5 p.m. Aug. 5, unless the court extends the order at a later date. 

“By treating lawful same sex marriages differently than it treats lawful opposite sex marriages,” the judge concluded, Ohio’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning recognition of same-sex couples’ marriages and Ohio’s statute addressing the same issue “likely violate[] the United States Constitution.” 

The couple’s attorney, Al Gerhardstein, said in a statement, “This order is a major step on the march toward marriage equality in Ohio.”

If you haven't watched the video of these two men getting married, you should check it out. It'll make you feel good.

Big Gay Heart

 Check out my article for The Huffington Post about Sen. Rob Portman's sudden decision to support marriage equality HERE.

Area Lawmaker Makes 'Brave' Decision Once It Directly Affects His Family -- UPDATED

UPDATE: Read my fleshed-outed article on this act of "bravery" HERE -- my first piece for the Huffington Post.

Top Republican senator shocks party 

by reversing his opposition to same-sex marriage after his son told him he is gay 

Republican Sen. Rob Portman is under fire from his conservative constituents -- and being called brave by others -- after announcing that he has had a change of heart on gay marriage. The Ohio lawmaker -- who was on Mitt Romney's short list of running mates -- said he made the decision after his 21-year-old son, Will (in checked shirt), came out to him. (Wait till the blond comes out next Christmas!)

While I would like to say that it makes me happy to have the first Republican senator come out in support of marriage equality, I still can't get past the whole "I need this EXACT situation to affect me PERSONALLY before I can do anything" mentality that seems to persist in the halls of Congress. Do I need to have a close relative have Parkinson's disease to think there should be government funding for a cure? Does a member of my family need to be African American for me to think the Voting Rights Act needs to be renewed? Does my house have to be destroyed by a hurricane to vote for emergency relief funding? Do I need to have a close relative of mine to be raped and murdered to think there should be laws against that?

The utter lack of empathy displayed by these people sickens me to the point that if and when some of them finally see the light, I almost hate them more .... for showing a complete lack of conviction. I guess this is just the way it works, but don't look for me to be handing out any medals for acting like a human being.

With God, All Things Are Possible