Citizens who have been denied equality are invariably told to "wait their turn" and to "be patient." Yet veterans of past civil-rights battles found that it was the act of insisting on equal rights that ultimately sped acceptance of those rights. As to whether the courts are "ready" for this case, just a few years ago, in Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court struck down a popularly adopted Colorado constitutional amendment that withdrew the rights of gays and lesbians in that state to the protection of anti-discrimination laws. And seven years ago, in Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court struck down, as lacking any rational basis, Texas laws prohibiting private, intimate sexual practices between persons of the same sex, overruling a contrary decision just 20 years earlier.
Since we can't count on politicians in DC (President Obama included) to stand up for our rights, it's ironic that a conservative icon should become our next big hope.
You go Ted. Win or lose, at least you have the guts to stand up for a persecuted group of people at the risk of your reputation and standing with your own group, which is more than I can say for those who have called themselves our "fierce advocate" and yet shy away from the gay issue as soon as they're in power.
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