More than 100 prominent Republicans signed an amicus brief last week, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn California’s ban on gay marriage. Almost 300 businesses signed a similar brief asking the court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage, for purposes of federal law, as the union of one man and one woman.
The national GOP platform, adopted in August at the Republican National Convention, called for a constitutional amendment echoing the one man, one woman standard. When President Barack Obama instructed his Justice Department not to defend DOMA in court, House Republican leaders authorized spending taxpayer money to do so.
But as the high court prepares to hear arguments in back-to-back cases challenging DOMA and California’s Proposition 8, some big Republican names are asking the court to recognize that gay couples have a constitutional right to wed.
I suspect this just indicates that a few of the more foresighted members of the GOP have realized they need to get ahead of the game or face inevitable defeat, but I’ll take equality however I can get it.
The 300 businesses, on the other hand, may just be seeking good buzz, but I’m inclined to be optimistic and think that they really do want marriage equality. Let’s hope it becomes a trend.