Washington DC Adult Entertainment: Same-Sex Marriage in California and Prop 8: A Brief History
Written on January 18, 2010 – 4:25 am | by larrylibido
Olsen presents an animus argument, asserting that animosity toward gays and lesbians drove anti-same-sex-marriage advocates to pursue Prop 8. The argument has precedent: In Romer v. Evans, a 1995 Supreme Court case, the Court ruled that a Colorado law, which prevented gays from legal protections, was based on animosity toward gays and therefore unconstitutional.
To prove animus, Olsen presents a letter written by Hak-Shing William Tam of the Traditional Family Coalition, a Prop 8 organizer. In the letter, Tam equated same-sex marriage with prostitution and “sex with children,” and asserted that legalizing same-sex marriage would result in California falling “into Satan’s hands.” Earlier in the month, Tam, a defender in the case, had asked Judge Walker to remove him from the case, fearing publicity that could endanger him and his family. Walker has yet to rule on the request.