Fingers crossed

Over the next two days, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on two appeals to state and federal laws restricting gay marriages.  The first case will appear before the court on Tuesday, March 26th.  The first case will be about the ongoing battle in California around Proposition 8.  The over riding question here will be about equal protection and the 14th Amendment.

In a separate argument on Wednesday, the Court will tackle the federal Defense of Marriage Act, also known as DOMA.  This 1996 law defined marriage as between a man and a women, and therefore barred gay and lesbian couples from any of the federal benefits and privileges of marriage.

The Supreme Court doesn't like to rule too far away from public opinion on topics such as these.  I guess it is good news, in that case, that just today a CNN poll was released that says that the demographic of support is shifting.  The cause?  A lot more people know someone who is gay, and the world didn't end.

"The number of Americans who support same-sex marriage has risen by almost the same amount in that time - from 40% in 2007 to 53% today - strongly suggesting that the rise in support for gay marriage is due in part to the rising number of Americans who have become aware that someone close to them is gay," 

Whatever the reason for the shift, I can only hope that the Supreme Court will understand that the failure to recognize millions of loving and committed relationships as marriages simply because of sexual orientation is a pure and complete act of discrimination.

I will have my fingers crossed.

Except when I am typing.  

I plan to follow the business of the Court this week with bated breath.  And then, of course, dear reader, you will have to read my  thoughts.