Polygamy, Bestiality, and the Political Power of Gays

You just can't say with a straight face that Kenneth Miller, a professor at Claremont McKenna College, knows what the hell he's talking about when it comes to gay rights. Why? Maybe it's the way that he was eviscerated on the stand during the federal trial challenging Proposition 8 this week.

Miller was put on the stand in Perry v. Schwarzenegger by supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage, to make the case that LGBT people are rolling in political power, and were hardly victims of discrimination when it came to passing Prop 8. Gays, after all, have loads of money, the undivided attention of many lawmakers, and entertainers that love them. At least according to Miller.

"Gay and lesbian interests are well-represented, can get anything they like passed through the Legislature, raise millions and millions of dollars," Miller said during the trial, according to AP. "You just can't with a straight face say gays and lesbians are a politically weak minority."

You know, except for the fact that gays and lesbians can't have their relationships recognized in 45 states, or that in dozens of states around the country, LGBT people can get fired simply on the basis of their sexual orientation. Or that the U.S. military, one of the largest institutions in the entire country, not only supports but openly champions policies that exclude gay and lesbian soldiers from serving their country.

Like I said, you just can't with a straight face say that Kenneth Miller knows his ass from his elbow.

For his part, David Boies, one of the attorneys representing same-sex couples in California challenging Prop 8, ripped into Miller for being spoon-fed information from attorneys, and not really understanding on a national scene the levels of discrimination faced by LGBT people. Faced with a barrage of questions from Boies, Miller eventually caved in and admitted that at least when it comes to job discrimination, LGBT people face a truckload of bias.

Miller was the first witness called by champions of Proposition 8. They better hope things go uphill from here.

Meanwhile, the case also saw two video tapes submitted into evidence that showed just how devious anti-gay marriage proponents were with selling their message of fear. Case in point? A presentation by San Diego pastor Jim Garlow, that warned everyone "The Polygamists are coming! The Polygamists are coming!"

The videotapes were put together to stir up religious opposition to same-sex marriage, suggesting that "if a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman, the polygamists are going to use that exact same argument." Which just goes to show that the first group to take the concept of love out of marriage tends to be religious conservatives.

Meanwhile, a protestor stood up in the courtroom today and screamed that marriage should be returned to the definition of father and mother. Clearly, someone should send this dude a newsflash that Prop 8 did essentially that.

Photo credit: celesteh