Marriage Reconsidertion: Supreme Court Order

Washington State Supreme Court order of denial of reconsideration in landmark marriage equality litigation:

WA Supreme Court issues final word on marriage

Supreme Court denies motion for reconsideration in marriage equality case

by Robert Raketty
SGN Staff Writer

The Washington State Supreme Court denied a petition for reconsideration from the lawyers representing 19 plaintiff same-sex couples who sought the right to marry. The decision may represent the final word on the issue from a legal perspective for at least a decade, according to one legal scholar who spoke with the Seattle Gay News on Wednesday.

Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens confirmed the news during an interview with the SGN Wednesday afternoon (see the full interview in Friday's edition of the SGN). She urged the region's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community to turn their attention to the Washington State Legislature, which has the ability overturn the state's Defense of Marriage Act. She also expressed hope for the future, saying that her children's attitudes and those of their peers reflect a shift in the culture's thinking about LGBT issues.

In a 5-4 decision on July 26, 2006, the court ruled to uphold the state's 1998 law, which bars same-sex couples from access to marriage. The rules of the Supreme Court dictate that parties have 14 days from the issuance of a decision to petition the court for reconsideration, however, the lawyers had been successful in receiving an extension before filing its motion with the court.

The lawyers had said at the time that they intended to "exhaust every possibility," that some "basic flaws in the courts reasoning" where being argued, and that "motions seeking reconsideration exists because of cases exactly like [theirs]."

The narrow decision last July revealed a diversity of opinion among the justices. "The Legislature was entitled to believe that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers procreation, essential to the survival of the human race and furthers the well-being of children by encouraging families where children are reared in homes headed by children's biological parents," wrote Justice Barbara Madsen on behalf of the majority.

Justice Mary Fairhurst, however, wrote that justices who upheld DOMA "condone blatant discrimination against Washington's Gay and Lesbian citizens in the name of encouraging procreation, marriage for individuals in relationships that result in children, and the raising of children in homes headed by opposite-sex parents, while ignoring the fact that denying same-sex couples the right to marry has no prospect of furthering any of those interests."

Eight of the couples where represented by Lambda Legal and the Northwest Women's Law Center in Anderson v. King County and the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington represented 11 couples in Castle v. State. The two cases were decided jointly.

In August 2004, King County Superior Court Judge William Downing ruled that the state Constitution guarantees basic rights to Gay and Lesbian people. The DOMA law, he concluded, violated those rights. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks issued a similar decision one-month later.

SGN Contributing Writer Devin Glaser contributed to this report.

Running with Scissors free movie passes

Seattle Gay News is giving away a batch of free movie passes to an advance screening of Running with Scissors, starring Academy Award nominee Annette Bening and Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow.

Send an email to sgnfilms@yahoo.com, with "Running for Scissors" in the subject line and include your name and mailing address. We will send out a free pass, while supplies last, that admits you and a guest to an advance screening of Running with Scissors on Thursday evening, October 26, in downtown Seattle.

Next month Seattle Gay News will be giving away free passes to Volver, a new film by Academy Award-winning director Pedro Almodovar.

Photo of Running with Scissors, courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival on now

Seattle Gay News is proud to be a premier sponsor of the 2006 Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, taking place at various theatres throughout the city from October 13 through October 22.

A complete pull-out festival guide is included in this week's print edition of the Seattle Gay News (Issue date: October 13). You'll also find a recommended list of movies by Arts & Entertainment writer Lorelei Quenzer.

For more festival information, including online ticket purchases, visit www.seattlequeerfilm.com.

Scissor Sisters heat up San Francisco's Warfield Theater

It's Albert with the Seattle Gay News, coming to you live from the H Cafe on the corner of Sanchez and 17th, in San Francisco.

Those of you with tickets to either of Scissor Sisters' upcoming concerts at The Showbox are in for a wild, highly energetic good time. Trust me, I know. I was privileged to be given a ticket to the main floor pit for last night's performance at SF's famed Warfield Theater. The show is the first of back to back, sold out concerts by the gay-adored band.

Scissor Sisters played all of their big hits from both albums, 2004's self-titled debut and the just-released Ta-Dah, including "Take Your Mama", "Laura", "Mary" and "Kiss You Off". The new track "Everybody Wants the Same Thing" was dedicated to the rambunctious crowd and the city of San Francisco, where group members Baby Daddy and Ana Matronic now call home.

But it was Seattle native Jake Shears, sexy lead singer and songwriter, who stole the show with go go boy-like dance moves and a very in-shape body, squeezed nicely into a dark leather pants/jacket combo. For an encore, he slipped into a hooded one-piece glittery ensemble, and then tore it off to reveal a super-tight uniform similar to what amateur wrestlers wear.

Seattle has its work cut out from them, as the San Francisco audience last night was ECSTATIC from beginning to end. They never slowed down, dancing and singing and shaking everything the Lord gave them. Gay boys comprised most of the crowd, with partygoing straight girls coming in second. There was also a scattering of lesbians and straight couples. Together, they turned the Warfield Theater upside down! So if you got tickets to Monday or Tuesday night's shows in Seattle, get ready to let loose. And, don't forget your boas, costume gear and Pride trinkets.

"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" was the first song performed during the encore. And it sounded three times as amazing as the CD version.

More on Scissor Sisters gay-la in San Francisco in next week's issue of the Seattle Gay News. When visiting this very hip, very gay city, choose to stay at The Mosser Hotel, fabulously located right in the heart of downtown and on the same square block as Old Navy, Ambercrombie & Fitch and Bloomingdales. It's a five minute streetcar ride on the F line to the Casto district, San Francisco's hopping gay sector. Visit www.themosser.com for details.

Photo of Scissor Sisters, courtesy of Universal Music Group.

Buju is back, in Seattle tonight

Spoke to soon! Apparently, Buju Banton will now perform tonight at 10 PM at Studio Seven (110 S. Horton St, Seattle; eight blocks south of Safeco Feild in the SODO District).

No word yet if any counter protest is being planned. Stay tuned.

Studio Seven's phone nubmer is 206-286-1312.

Last May, Buju Banton lead the sing-along of Boom Bye Bye in Miami. I can see it now: shoot gay men in the head, pour acid over them, and burn them alive.

Check it out: here!

Neumos: Buju Banton concert cancelled

Here's a letter from Neumos Owner Steven Severin:

After much debate, Neumos has cancelled the Buju Banton show.

Our mission of providing for the free expression of art must give way in this situation to our responsibility to the health and safety of our patrons and the community. The publication and dissemination of the lyrics for one of this artist’s songs has created the potential for violence that we will not tolerate.

To our patrons who were looking forward to this show, we apologize that you will not be able to see an artist you wanted to see. To those in the community that were deeply offended that we would bring an overtly homophobic artist to the heart of capitol hill we apologize.

We are mindful that this action comes at significant social costs. As a performing arts venue we take pride in allowing artists to freely express their views without censorship or prior restraint. We believe that dissent and disagreement are vital and healthy parts of a community. The song, “Boom Bye Bye” written by Buju Banton over a decade ago when he was fifteen clearly goes beyond such dissent and disagreement, is abhorrent and cannot be defended by anyone. We sympathize with and understand the strong emotions that the publication and dissemination of the lyrics have incited in our community. Because of this, the show cannot go on.

Steven Severin
Neumos/Wake Up Productions/Liberty Lounge
Owner/Talent Buyer