Ruth Bader Ginsburg Officiates at Marriage of Michael Kaiser and John Roberts
On August 31, 2013, in the evening, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated at the marriage of a government economist and the President of the Kennedy Performing Arts Center Michael M. Kaiser whom Ginsburg calls “a friend and someone I much admire.” Ginsburg, an opera buff, is a frequent visitor to the Arts Center.
“ You Have My Blessings”
Says Kaiser who has been President of the Center since January 2001, “it’s a big honor for someone of her stature to officiate.” Before 220 guests such as Renee Fleming and Barbara Cook, in the Center’s atrium, Ginsburg, now eighty years-old, married Kaiser and Roberts, 32, who works at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Ginsburg, who has been on the Supreme Court for twenty years, stated that “I think it will be one more statement that people who love each other and want to live together should be able to enjoy the blessings and the strife in the marriage relationship.”
Ginsburg’s Position on Gay Marriage During Supreme Court Decisions
Same-sex unions, since 2010, have been legal in the District of Columbia. Thirteen other U.S. states and seventeen other countries now have gay marriage. Last June, Ginsburg was one of the liberal supporters who voted for a pair of major gay rights victories at the Supreme Court. The court, 5 to 4, ruled that the federal government may not refuse to recognize legally married gay couples. By striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, the historic ruling gave equal benefits to same-sex marriages legalized by the states. The Court also reinstated a lower-court ruling that found California’s ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional.
During the March oral arguments leading up to the June 23rd decision, Ginsburg made the famous statement that supporters of the law seemed to want “two types of marriage,” likening same-sex unions to the “skim milk” (or less than) version of marriage.
This month, Ginsburg plans to officiate at another same-sex wedding.
The post 1st Same-sex Marriage Performed by a Member of the Court appeared first on Gay Agenda.