By FITSNEWS || The liberal trial lawyer-turned-federal judge who struck down South Carolina’s gay marriage ban this week was supported in his bid for the bench by none other than U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Richard Gergel – whose decision has enraged social conservatives – was nominated by Barack Obama on December 22, 2009. Graham aggressively supported Gergel’s nomination, and thanks to his efforts the Democrat was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on a voice vote eight months later.
Of interest, though, former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint – an arch-fiscal and social conservative – declined to exercise his Senate prerogative to place a “hold” on Gergel’s nomination. That’s something social conservatives should keep in mind as they pillory Graham for his support of Gergel.
Of course Graham has consistently supported Obama’s liberal judicial nominees – including Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Gergel ruled this week that South Carolina’s ban on gay marriage – overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2006 – was unconstitutional. His decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court failed to overturn a fourth circuit ruling striking down Virginia’s gay marriage ban.
Since then, the sixth circuit court of appeals has ruled that states have the right to regulate marriage -meaning this issue is likely headed back to the U.S. Supreme Court (which will have to rule on it this time).
This website’s oft-stated view on this issue is abundantly clear: No government – local, state or federal – should have the ability to ban (or compel) marriage, gay or straight. Or plural, for that matter. That’s because marriage isn’t a government institution, it’s a religious one – meaning the question should be left to individual congregations.
As for civil unions, we believe the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment compels government to acknowledge both homosexual and heterosexual unions … even plural unions.
Anyway, we’ll have another story of interest soon as it relates to this decision …
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94 comments
Gergel? Is that former Columbia City councilhag Belinda’s husband?
One in the same. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mark_Gergel
Oh well, he got this one right at least.
Anyone married to her would support gay marriage. Lol
NO SHIT!!!!!!
No, homosexuality involves a LOT of shit……
You’ve confirmed you are a crude and ignorant person. It certainly sucks to be you.
No, actually it’s kind of fun to be me. What sucks, is to be one of those humorless souls such as yourself who lack the mental fortitude to deal with people like me.
+2
The natural course of uniting, conceiving, and raising a family begins
with a man and woman. It is what brought about the need of
boundaries for sex, reproduction, and family benefiting all and favoring
the continuation of this natural course. This need resulted in the union
that is marriage. As such, marriage has absolutely nothing to do with
same sex unions. Forcing society to accept a new definition of marriage
that disregards this natural order by making men and women
interchangeable in it, diminishes our appreciation and understanding of
marriage. It diminishes the differences between men and women and the
complimentary union of those differences which are essential to family
and society.
T.H.C. like me i assue you are married to a Woman? At anytime during the dating process did the Government contact you and say “no im sorry you must marry a blonde,redhead,BBW,skinny,black,white ect….? The answer would be HELL NO!! So why do you and others think its okay for the Gov to tell Paul he cant marry Tim? WTF does it matter, and how does it have any effect on you? I dont like a lot of things one being this stupid tired argument by the GOP and we wonder why we cant win the WH.
WTF does it matter, and how does it have any effect on you?
He and his ilk believe that government’s refusal to call gay marriage “marriage” somehow illegitimizes gay marriage.
It the same libertarian vs. conservative argument. I doubt we’ll resolve it here.
As such, marriage has absolutely nothing to do with
same sex unions.
Marriage is what the individual makes of it. If a person chooses to apply religious doctrine to their marriage, that is their choice. No such requirement exists.
There is no logical foundation in denying gays and lesbians the right to marry.
Forcing society to accept a new definition of marriage
Nobody is forcing society to do anything except for those who believe we should ban certain people from getting married. YOU are forcing society to deny marriage rights to others.
This doesn’t do anything except allow government to recognize same sex marriages for legal benefits and protections. The enforcement of laws rests with government, ergo it must have a fair and equal way of applying those laws to everyone.
Marriage is not a government institution. It isn’t a religious institution. It is an individual right.
You’re mentally deranged.
Yeah, making logical arguments sure is hard. Let’s just insult people we can’t debate instead.
Don’t you just love some of the user names these trolls use?
I think it’s all the same person.
Wouldn’t surprise me either, bet he hasn’t seen the light of day in a long long time, that basement must be dark and dank.
Just come out of the damn ‘closet’ and admit you are gay. You have way too much passion on this issue for anyone to think otherwise.
It is okay. I am willing to be on your support team.
Diamond – how’s your gaydar working?
I bet Tango is smiling. Smirks and the advocates of perverted marriage have turned FitsNews into the SC headquarters for the LGBT community.
LMAO!!!!
I bet you even dislike Lesbian porn.
Just come out of the damn ‘closet’ and admit you are gay.
…are you coming onto me?
Sorry homo-I am all about Adam and Eve NOT Adam and Steve.
The penis was not meant to be used in the anus.How you people started transferring AIDS. :-)
“Marriage is what the individual makes of it.”
Absolutely absurd. Homosexuality had nothing to do with the origin of marriage. SSU is no more a marriage than a friendship or business partnership is.
“Nobody is forcing society to do anything”
Then you’re not paying attention. Redefining marriage isn’t done for just those who want to include SSU. Just as everyone including homosexuals have the choice to marry one member of the opposite sex, redefining marriage will mean that everyone including heterosexuals will have the choice to unite with one member of the same sex. 98.4% of Americans, don’t want the choice to marry the same sex. Many are offended at the idea of being associated with homosexuality by sharing a common union.
Homosexuality had nothing to do with the origin of marriage.
Irrelevant. Marriage is the right of two consenting adults who love each other, it makes no difference.
98.4% of Americans, don’t want the choice to marry the same sex.
Then… don’t marry someone of the same sex? Jesus, dude, did you even realize that’s an option? I can’t stand coconut, but you don’t see me starting a petition to have a constitutional amendment banning it.
Rights are not subject to majority rule. If the majority of people here disagree with you, you still have the right to say what you want to say. Same goes for me. Legislating rights away is morally reprehensible.
Many are offended at the idea of being associated with homosexuality by sharing a common union.
Many are offended at the idea of being associated with race-mixing by sharing a common union with interracial married couples. So what? Fuck those people. They are racist bigots and no one should care what they think.
You still have yet to present an actual logical explanation of how gay marriage is going to hurt anyone. You’re just whining about how some people will be butthurt. So? Get over it. You’re whining about gays having the right to marry who they love. Gays aren’t taking YOUR right to marry who you love. Who do you think is in the wrong? Here’s a hint, the answer is in your bathroom mirror.
That homosexuality had nothing to do with the origin of marriage, excludes ssu from the original intent and meaning of marriage. That is very relevant.
This is not a rights issue. Gender exclusivity is allowed by law with no resulting inequality. Respecting the union of the differences that allow for gender exclusivity does not result in inequality.
That homosexuality had nothing to do with the origin of marriage
You can say that all you want, it won’t change the fact that people get married primarily because they love each other and that no other intent is required. If two gay persons love each other, they should have the right to get married.
Stop interfering with the rights of others.
This is not a rights issue.
Yes. Yes it is.
Respecting the union of the differences that allow for gender exclusivity does not result in inequality.
You do realize that “separate but equal” is the exact logic presented to defend segregation, correct?
What government recognizes as marriage is simply a legal binding of persons. What government recognizes as marriage is irrelevant to what religion or the individual recognizes as marriage. You are free to hang onto whatever narrow-minded, bigoted definition you want to personally believe in just as long as you stop shoving it down everyone else’s throats.
Live and let live. Why are you so up in everyone else’s business? Let them be happy, they’ll let you be happy.
Separate but equal works for female only bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, clubs, gyms, organizations, schools, etc.
You pretend that homosexuals don’t have the right to marry. They do have the same right to marry a heterosexual does.
Marriage is much more than just the union of two people who love each other regardless of your diminished understanding.
SSU and OSU are far, far too different on too many levels to ever be honestly, fairly or sensibly considered the same.
Separate but equal works for female only bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, clubs, gyms, organizations, schools, etc.
Real cute. Great job dodging the argument.
You pretend that homosexuals don’t have the right to marry. They do have the same right to marry a heterosexual does.
Interracial marriage bans didn’t stop black people from marrying, they just had to marry their own kind.
Marriage is much more that just the union of two people who love each other regardless of your diminished understanding.
Love and consent are the only prerequisites to marriage, regardless of your narrow-minded world views.
SSU and OSU are far, far too different on too many levels to ever be honestly or sensibly considered the same.
Marriage is marriage. I don’t sit there and play “spot the difference” between various married couples because that’s what a bigot does. If someone’s married, good for them! I hope they have happy lives. I don’t care what race they are, what sex they are, what religion they believe in, who they vote for, what they do for a living, or anything. Because it’s none of my business. And they won’t make my marriage their business either.
All I care about is making sure everyone who wants to get married are allowed to do so and has equal protection under the law.
All you care about is going on and on about the “original intent” of marriage and how gays shouldn’t be able to marry each other, and inserting broken logic to justify your bigoted beliefs.
Society will progress and your irrelevant, illogical bullshit arguments will be left to rot, merely to exist as a reminder to future generations about how barbaric their predecessors really were. As they should be. As it has been before for so many other issues. As it will continue to be for other issues we have yet to address.
Enjoy being on the wrong end of history if you want, but leave the rest of us out of it.
Smirks – very nicely done. However, posting a coherent and well thought response into a midst of right-wing nut-jobs who think the entire nation is suddenly behind them because 35% voter turnout allowed them to squeek out a nice little victory in the mid-terms is a tough sell. Remember, people like Tango and Zircon Jim actively went out to vote for a gay Senator because secretly they have desires that conflict with their moral compass. Privately they are conflicted and confused over their late night dreams, while publiclly screaming that gays are bad. Wait until the Executive Action next week – their little hads will explode.
I know it’s pointless to expect a logical argument from those against gay marriage, but I hope it makes it painfully clear to everyone else that these guys have no logical argument. All of their “logic” ends up being terribly flawed and their arguments are made out of hate and spite.
They’re reporting executive action will provide protection for 5 million undocumented immigrants – their heads will surely explode.
By your definition, an opposite sex couple that was too old or otherwise could not reproduce should not get married.
A childless marriage is still a marriage. Government recognized marriage predates Christianity. Marriage is BOTH a religious institution and an institution recognized by government. As long as the government doesn’t impose itself on the religious aspects of marriage, religion should not impose itself on the government recognition of marriage.
That’s incorrect. I’m saying that the nature of family gave us marriage, homosexuality had absolutely nothing to do with the origin of marriage, homosexuality and heterosexuality are to far apart to ever be the same, therefore the union of man and woman is unique and no same sex union could ever duplicate the natural experience of marriage. For these and many other reason marriage should remain the union of a man and woman.
As for infertility, it is an exception that establishes this rule — only male and female can reproduce. The assumption that an infertile man and woman argue for the union of the same sex is horribly misguided because same sex couples do not experience infertility in their “sex” but rather, biological impossibility. Only a man and woman can reproduce. It is the potential for reproduction heterosexual couples possess that distinguishes them from same sex couples, not some imagined “requirement” for reproduction.
Infertility has no part in homosexuality, impossibility is the reality and that reality is without exception.
You have some serious tortured logic, bro. Homosexuality had nothing to do with the origin of marriage? Who cares? Marriage is a construct that allows two consenting people who love each other to be together. That’s it. There’s no fertility requirement, there’s no baby-making mandate. That’s why old people and infertile couples can get married.
Your constant insistence on reproduction is irrelevant. Just stop. Not every married couple gets married to raise kids. Some people just want to spend the rest of their lives together, just them, no one else, and they want you to butt out of their right to do so.
Stop blocking other peoples’ happiness and leave your narrow-minded interpretations to yourself.
Who cares? The fact that marriage was first a union established in response to the relational and social needs of the biological family, defines marriage. That homosexuality had no part in the advent of marriage means marriage is not just the union of two people who love each other, but the union of a man and woman.
If you had the sense to understand my argument you would have never assumed I was saying there is a mandate or requirement for reproduction. There is not, but there is a recognition in marriage of the potential for procreation and the fact that nature has chosen the union of a man and woman as the exclusive means of procreation and the union best suited for raising their children. I am not insisting on reproduction.
The fact that marriage was first a union established in response to the relational and social needs of the biological family
The butterknife was first invented to cut butter. How many times have you caught yourself using it for other purposes? A screwdriver? Cutting something other than butter? Reaching into a narrow space to fish something out?
Your argument is entirely devoid of logic. Who cares about the “social needs of the biological family?” People in their 60’s don’t need that. They’re getting married because they love each other and want to spend the rest of their days together. Stop talking reproduction because it is irrelevant, not everyone gets married to have kids.
If you had the sense to understand my argument you would have never
assumed I was saying there is a mandate or requirement for reproduction.
I have read your lame argument over and over again, and every time you go back to the “origin” of marriage and the fact that only a man and woman can have kids. Every. Single. Time.
At least be honest about the fact that it’s your only frigging argument.
but there is a recognition in marriage of the potential for procreation and the fact that nature has chosen the union of a man and woman as the exclusive means of procreation
Not every straight marriage has the potential for procreation! Come on man! Wake up! It doesn’t matter!
Your point about only a man and woman can procreate is retarded in and of itself. So what? What about couples that adopt? Straight or gay. Yes, a married couple can adopt kids, and yes, they do need rights and protections of marriage laws to the benefit of raising those children. But you are arguing that gay couples shouldn’t have that right? Plenty of kids have been raised by gay persons and have come out just fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMLZO-sObzQ
Stop interfering with gays being able to marry. You can marry who you want, none of us here cares. It would sure be nice if you treated others the same. Let’s let everyone be happy with the person they love. You are the only one advocating something different.
Didn’t even make a dent.
I really didn’t expect you’d begin to consider the facts about marriage, what it is, why it exists, for whom it exists, whom it benefits, or to respect its rich history, tradition, religiosity, etc. But I replied for the sake of those who might.
This is where I choose to end our discussion.
End? As far as I’m concerned, you never really began. No real logical argument has been produced by you, just “muh tradition,” “muh feels,” and “muh reproduction.”
Whatever. If anything, I’d implore you to stop caring so much about what other people are doing with their lives. If someone else’s happiness really does that much damage to your own, that’s just sad. Life is short, don’t waste it on being unhappy over other people you don’t even know.
I’d also implore you to consider how you’d feel if government told you that it wouldn’t recognize your marriage, and therefore would not apply those laws to you and your family. Or if government said it would apply those laws, but your “union” isn’t a marriage, it’s something else.
I think if you got to a point where you could feel for your fellow man, your world view would broaden and perhaps you wouldn’t be so burdened by your irrational anger.
You don’t understand. If these people stopped caring so much about what other people are doing with their lives, they would have no lives of their own. It’s kinda like the way they say that their own marriages are de-valued by the marriages of others that they don’t even know. The only logic to it is their own insane logic that is unique to them.
Okay. Just stay out of our schools.We don’t want you teaching our 1st grade children that homosexuality and gay marriage is the norm and destroying their young minds.
You are welcome to worship in our church but don’t sue us when we continue to follow the teaching of the scripture that homosexuality is a sin and gay marriage is a perversion of God’s law. We won’t marry you, get over it.
Don’t boycott my business and threaten to put me out of business because of my religious beliefs I won’t make your wedding cake or photograph your wedding. We are a family business and my small children help. I don’t want them to see this perversion.
Other than that I don’t want to block your happiness and have a happy union with your partner.
What was it that destroyed YOUR mind, pogo? Musta been something horrible.
Do you have grandchildren? Would you allow your 15 year-old grandson to bring his GAY boyfriend home and play ‘spin the bottle’ in front of your 6 year-old grandson?
You sir are advocating for a perversion that will be devestating to the psychological development of our youngest children and scar them for life.
Would you allow your 15 year-old grandson to bring his GAY boyfriend home and play ‘spin the bottle’ in front of your 6 year-old grandson?
I wouldn’t let my 15-year-old grandson bring his STRAIGHT girlfriend home and play ‘spin the bottle’ in front of my 6-year-old grandson either. Get a room, sheesh.
Still waiting for a logical argument against gay marriage.
The Bible, reproduction, AIDS and the perverted lifestyles of gays that infect the communities.
The Bible: That’s based on faith, not logic. What about people who don’t believe in the Bible? Does Christianity have a monopoly over marriage now?
Reproduction: See below. People get married for reasons other than that.
AIDS: This doesn’t “magically” happen from having gay sex, it happens from having sex with someone who has HIV. Such an argument would be effective against promiscuity, but typically the reason people get married is because they don’t want to be promiscuous (Haley and Sanford notwithstanding).
Besides that, you’re acting as if STDs don’t exist for straight people. They do. Should we stop straight marriages because they promote STDs?
Lifestyles: Dat stereotyping.
TL;DR: Your logic is bad and you should feel bad.
Google ‘San Francisco Brothels’and the spread of AIDS.
How soon we forget.
You do know what a brothel is, right?
Pretty sure people who visit brothels aren’t interested in marriage.
A college student, not being able to get lucky, visits a brothel where he sees his father. “Gee, Dad, I have to come here – but you?” “Son, for $50 I’m going to wake up your mother at 2 am?”
Not true. The majority are married and go to the brothel seeking something they are not getting at home!
Seen on a wall in the men’s restroom, “My mother made me a homosexual.” Underneath was written, “If I gave your mom the wool would she knit me one too?”
You might want to re-read that, pogo, and correct it You seem to be saying that The Bible “infects the communities”, along with the rest of your list.
You’re welcome.
The bible, ability to reproduce and AIDS have nothing to do with gay marriage.
“Spin the bottle.” Something pogo heard about on TV back in the ’50s. He thinks everything has to be in black and white when you play it, though.
Sounds good in theory,but things can go off course.We/then,just me,raised a relative’s child(a girl,don’t worry-I probably wouldn’t have gotten custody otherwise),when things went terribly wrong for her parents,but she’s doing fine,and is now an adult.You need to accept reality,and face the fact that this is not a perfect world that you can wrap your tiny mind around,with such simplistic ‘thinking’.
Not sure what your point is. Are you just pointing out the reality that not all children have the benefit of being raised by their mother and father? If so, what does that have to do with my argument?
She Would :-O
I am telling you with a straight face —- Graham has a hidden freaky sickness he does not want the public to find out about. The man has never been married, has no children to his name, and has never dated ANY females in his entire life. He is more than just a closet HOMOSEXUAL …. Probe and you will find out. He is sick in the head.
Are you describing Lindsey Graham or Jesus Christ?
You are anti God.
That is actually a good one. Surprised you had the guts to say it, it won’t be popular with the Social Conservative types.
I don’t judge private lives nor speculate. As long as Lindsey doesn’t hike the “Appalachian trail”, l’m ok.
Maybe he’s a closet Priest.
..maybe his ancestors owned slaves…….but then, that could describe nearly every white person in that cesspool!
Now that the election is over, you will see Graham again start voting his conscious, which is a good thing.
Graham and conscious in the same sentence– my keyboard just puked.
Graham is conscious, though J. Cricket his conscience was last seen departing the US of Sodom…
now Graham can marry Wes Donehue…
Stop bringing up a vote voters approved eight years ago! Slavery used to be legal, too, and I’m sure many FITS readers still believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old. Gawd-amighty! Let Nikki and her drooling friends drag their knuckles around. The rest of us are glad to live in the 21st century.
Dan. Why don’t you just go get married? Smirks, are you off today? Rocky?
Call ‘sparkiecity’ and maybe he can officiate the ‘niptuals’.
Oh my!!!!
I was married. My wife died.
Sorry for your loss. Even sorrier that Zircon Jamie is such an asshole. He has an inferiority complex.
Thanks
Damn.I am sorry. Kinda went thru the same.Always hope and somebody else out there that will love ya.
You floored me with this post.
“Kinda went through the same” you say, pogo? Was there another wife besides the disabled one, perpetually near deaths door that you insist on dragging around (or so you say) on an endless cycle of trips to Yellow Springs Ohio, Murrells Inlet SC, some place in Florida and Las Vegas?
Anyway, how do you “kinda” go through having your wife die? What did you do, only half kill her? Is that why she’s in the wheelchair?
Oh my …
Mr.Martin,
JIm thought that was funny.
Very truly yours
Spoken like a 1st century Roman citizen.
Thanks a lot DeMint. So obessed with causing Obama’s demise you let the gay-loving judge get confirmed and stick it to SC. Great Senator Jimbo. You jackass.
Graham did not “consistently support” the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. I quote:
By James Rosen – Washington Bureau 4 June 2009
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham used a private meeting with Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday to tell her that he’s bothered by her controversial claim in 2001 that “a wise Latina woman” judge would often make better rulings than a white judge.
After the session, Graham accused President Obama of using a double standard in asking Republican senators to support Sotomayor as his Supreme Court nominee even if her ideology and political beliefs differ from their views.
As a senator, Graham said, Obama had voted against two of President George W. Bush’s high court picks – John Roberts and Samuel Alito – because of their conservative positions.
“Well, if I apply that standard to her, I am deeply troubled because she doesn’t share my judicial philosophy,” Graham said. “She doesn’t share my ideology.”
Graham had practically kissed Sam Alito during his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearings by asking whether he was a “closet bigot.”
Alito denied it, and Graham replied, “No, sir, you’re not. And you know why I believe that? Not because you just said it — but that’s a good enough reason, because you seem to be a decent, honorable man.”
Well, I guess Sen. Graham was more than willing to accept a white male at face value, but a “wise” Latina had some ‘splainin’ to do!
Gergel is a great family man, as anyone in Columbia will tell you.He is from an old family. He and his wife are deeply involved with Jewish history and are generous and charitable. SC is lucky to have nice guy like him, and I am happy to know him as an acquaintance.
Graham is a POS. SC voters are morons for reelecting him
So does Herr Gergel support the EC’s allowance of Sharia courts to supplant his infidel decisions? Just askin’ before the Jihad arrives.
OR does he draw a fatwah when he orders a mosque to perform a gay marriage?
“…The liberal trial lawyer-turned-federal judge who struck down South Carolina’s gay marriage ban this week was supported in his bid for the bench by none other than U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham….
I’m confused, given your support of “gay marriage” Lindsey’s support was the right call – right?
Welcome to SC: Home of the Hypocrites.
Two gay Senators, and we try and stop Gay Marriage and limit Gay Rights.
What a bunch of lame Hypocrites exist in the GOP.
There is no law against being a gay Senator. If those Senators marry each other.. well…
Yay! to FITS for distinguishing between “marriage” and “civil unions”.
But, since everyone wants to fight about it, it’ll be ignored as a simply solution.
heh heh, he heh, Lindsey “backed” him! heh-heh, he-heh!
Anyone that doesn’t know Lindsey is gay must be blind, deaf….what a hypocrite he is.
Please forward to judicial system…
SODOMY: MEDICALLY DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR?
Why not have a public dialogue on the medical safety of Sodomy, gay and straight, and ask these two simple medical questions?
That is, Doesn’t the medical community recommend that you, “Wash your hands after you go to the bathroom.”?
Yet, now there are some in the medical community that now say it’s OK to “Sleep with the waste that gets flushed down in the toilet?” and that it’s possible to live a perfectly normal life.
Additionally, the same can be said that there are some in the medical community that now say it’s OK to “Lick the toilet bowl” and that it’s also possible to live a perfectly normal life.
Why are all y’all guys uber obsessed with the gays? WTF?
I believe what I believe because I choose to. I base my decisions on my beliefs. Do I claim that I am anything outside of God’s grace, NO! I have been serving the Lord for many years now & have never found His Word to fail. He said Homosexuality is a abomination, that settles it for me. You will answer for your decisions as I will . I am a sinner , but my sin is forgiven by the blood of Christ Jesus . Sin is disobedience to God, that ranges from gluttony to homosexuality & all in between. Dare you to read the Scriptures for in it you will find life. Don’t let others guide you in your belief, try the LORD, He will never fail you , all others will.