The U.S. Supreme Court has halted same-sex marriages in Utah, pending an appeal of a federal ruling that allows the unions. Last month the state has been issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. What's next for them? The AC360 Later panel picks up the debate.
The AC360 Later panel discusses the Cheney sisters' heated disagreement over same-sex marriage that played out on TV and social media.
Jeffrey Toobin, Andrew Sullivan, and president of Freedom to Marry discuss landmark same-sex marriage Supreme Court rulings.
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(CNN) - California resident Jean Podrasky, first cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts, tells Anderson Cooper that she’s disappointed by the chief justice’s dissent on the DOMA ruling, but is thrilled that his majority opinion in the Proposition 8 case will allow her and her partner, Grace Fasano, to be married.
“I’m so overwhelmed. I’m so excited,” Podrasky said on AC360. “I have told everybody that I was expecting this but it’s still a shock. I’m so excited.”
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California resident Jean Podrasky, first cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts, tells Anderson Cooper that she’s disappointed by the chief justice’s dissent on the DOMA ruling, but is thrilled that his majority opinion in the Proposition 8 case will allow her and her partner Grace Fasano to be married.
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Editor’s Note: We’ll have more tonight at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the Supreme Court’s rulings. Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin will join Anderson, as will columnist Andrew Sullivan and Jean Podrasky, Chief Justice John Roberts' gay cousin will react to today's rulings along with her partner.
Today, voting 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out part of the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples. The high court said legally married same-sex couples must receive the same benefits provided to heterosexual couples. The act had defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, but the court said the law violated the rights of same-sex couples by demoting their marriages to second-class status when compared to their heterosexual peers.
In another landmark case, the justices, in a 5 to 4 decision, also handed a victory to same-sex proponents when it cleared the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry in California, dismissing an appeal to the state's voter-approved Proposition 8 that banned such marriages.
The Supreme Court sided on Tuesday with adoptive parents in a divisive custody fight over a Native American child after the biological father asserted his parental rights. The justices, by a 5-4 margin, said the adoption by a white couple was proper and did not intrude on the federal rights of the father, a registered member of the Cherokee tribe, over where his daughter, Veronica, 3, would live. The court said the father could not rely on the Indian Child Welfare Act for relief because he never had legal or physical custody at the time of adoption proceedings, which were initiated by the birth mother without his knowledge.
These decisions were made by the highest court in the nation.
Here’s the AC360 411 on the U.S. Supreme Court: FULL POST
In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Matt R. Salmon says he has a loving relationship with his parents despite their opposition to same-sex marriage. Having a gay son did not change conservative Congressman Matt Salmon's views on the definition of marriage.
On Friday, the Republican National Committee re-affirmed its position that a marriage should be solely between one man and one woman. The vote came one month after the RNC released a report that called for the GOP to soften its tone on hot-button issues, including same-sex marriage, to appeal to younger voters.
Salmon says he was disappointed about the outcome of the vote. But in his own family, he has resolved to respect the differences of opinion on the issue.
"Our relationship has really grown stronger and I've watched as my dad has just really been a huge supporter of me. And yes, he doesn't support gay marriage, but that's no reason that I shouldn't love him, or just accept him for who he is," he says.
Anderson Cooper asks Pastor Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, why he linked nuclear threats from North Korea with the debates in the U.S. over same-sex marriage and gays in the Boy Scouts.
He was answering a question posed by a Christian radio host about whether God was punishing Americans for their "slide into immorality." He said, in part, "I don't think it's just a coincidence."
In his interview with Anderson, Pastor Luter clarified his comments and spoke about what he sees as the problem with trying to redefine marriage. Watch the video for more on their conversation.
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases concerning same-sex marriage. One case hinges on the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, which bans such marriages in the state. The other case challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. The 1996 federal law denies federal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian couples. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce a ruling in both cases in late June. Here’s the AC360° 411 on the battle over same-sex marriage:
There are no openly gay players in the NFL. Minn. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe talks about why that is and when it might change. Kluwe says he believes some players are not open about their sexuality because, “the window of opportunity to play is so short that you don’t want to risk any sort of distraction that can keep you from keeping that job.”