Ohio Attorney General: Gays Don’t Need Equal Rights Protections Anymore

FILE - This Nov. 25, 2013 file photo shows Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine speaking in Steubenville, Ohio. Negative campaigning and mudslinging may be a fact of life in American politics, but can false accusations ... FILE - This Nov. 25, 2013 file photo shows Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine speaking in Steubenville, Ohio. Negative campaigning and mudslinging may be a fact of life in American politics, but can false accusations made in the heat of an election be punished as a crime? That debate makes its way to the Supreme Court next week as the justices consider a challenge to a controversial Ohio law that bars false statements about political candidates during a campaign. DeWine, says he has serious concerns about the law. His office filed two briefs in the case, one from staff lawyers obligated to defend the state and another expressing DeWine's personal view that the law "may chill constitutionally protected political speech." (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Ohio’s attorney general defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage by arguing that discrimination against LGBT people has been on “a steady decline,” ThinkProgress reported on Monday.

Attorney General Mike DeWine submitted a brief to the Supreme Court in which he argued that gays and lesbians have “‘attract[ed] the attention of the lawmakers’ at every level of government.” The brief was submitted to the Supreme Court in an attempt to secure the continuance of Ohio’s ban on same-sex marriage, according to ThinkProgress.

DeWine noted that “any discrimination against them has been on a steady decline” because of the fact that LGBT people can “gain the attention of lawmakers now more than ever.”

Noting that “political invisibility is not an issue today,” DeWine argued that LGBT people didn’t deserve “protected-class status” because it’s “reserved for those ‘relegated to such a position of political powerlessness.'”

The argument that gays have too much power to be protected from discrimination under the law has been used before, according to ThinkProgress. In 2013, House Republicans used the argument when they spoke out in support of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was designed to restrict marriage to being between a man and woman.

Latest Livewire
71
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. He’s right. The only people who suffer discrimination now are white males, christianists and the rich.

    Just ask them.

  2. Avatar for marby marby says:

    I am hoping these Republican governors and attorneys general, etc. keep making these stupid statements to bring on even MORE backlash.

  3. Woo Hoo! (((Flexes arms))) I can FEEL my new power coursing through my lesbian veins! I no longer need anti-discrimination laws! I can simply smite those that oppose me!

  4. Using DeWine’s logic, don’t the Christians in Indiana have enough power already? Why should they need a special “Religious Freedom” law?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

65 more replies

Participants

Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for meri Avatar for artemisia Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for leftflank Avatar for pyanfar Avatar for bluestatedon Avatar for trnc Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for george_spiggott Avatar for thepsyker Avatar for Dawn_Rainbow Avatar for senjaybulworth Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for borisjimbo Avatar for barblzz Avatar for zuch Avatar for bigdaddydrj Avatar for azjude Avatar for darrtown Avatar for biggiemouse Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for ouprofessor

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: