politics

Standing is an antiquated concept at this point. Particularly when it comes to attacking queer rights. They can do whatever they want.

In this case they're joining a number of other states in trying to overturn Obergefell, they're flat out ignoring Varnum and the state situation.

No, their minds are more warped than that. They claim they are loving others by acting the way they do. From their point of view, the fate of our eternal souls is far more valuable than the feelings of a fleshy body. To them, it's love to keep gays from marrying, to deny trans peoples' identities, to force kids and women to give birth to their rapist's babies... Etc... That's all Christian Love.

Aziraphale and Crowley looking at Jesus during the crucifixion.

Crowley: What was it he said that got everyone so upset?

Aziraphale: “Be kind to each other.”

Crowley: Oh, yeah. That'll do it.

"The Bible says homosexuality is abhorrent."

"How many types of fabric are in that shirt?"

"... that passage is ambiguous!"

There's no love quite like Christian hate.

Jesus: Everybody love each other. That’s it that’s the whole thing.

American Christians: Okay, okay. That's cool... uh, but not f*gs right?

Jesus: Did I fucking stutter?

Did a bunch of americans literally complain about "commie shit" after a reading of the sermon on the mount?

There isn't really a mechanism for the court to take up a case without an actual case. Of course, it's only a matter of time before Liberty or some other conservative outlet gins up a manufactured victim of gay marriage to bring before the court since this court has established that standing can be purely fictional (as long as it's for conservative causes) and precedent doesn't matter.

Log cabin Republicans about to get their whole damn head eaten, but not in a fun way.

It’s all very “We’re miserable, so you have to be too.”

Yes but if they weren't spending all their time oppressing minority groups they'd have to solve actual problems and that's hard.

What Republicans have come to realize (and Democrats refuse to accept) is that you can just DO THINGS at the executive level. And if the bureaucrats follow along, then you've functionally established new policy.

The Iowa legislature can pass a rule saying "No more issuing marriage contracts to gay couples" and the state courts can say "Okay, we'll stop doing that and we'll also stop recognizing existing contracts", and all the low level county officials can just ignore the legal status of gay married families and then private businesses can follow suit. And then that's it. No SCOTUS decision is going to pay out on insurance benefits claims to a legally de-certified no-longer-spouse.

On the flip side, the Iowa legislature can author this act and the people of Iowa can rise up in protest and say "Fuck you, we won't do what you tell us." Private businesses can continue to honor marriage contracts. Low level bureaucrats can continue to treat gay couples as married. Mid-level bureaucrats can defend and promote them. High level bureaucrats who continue to force these abhorrent laws on people can be removed from office.

The problem is that... the fish rots from the head. More likely than not, we're seeing this push because Iowa's basket of deplorable plutocrats want to expand the number of minorities they can piss and shit all over. Just like how DOGE gutted the "Woke" federal bureaucracy, I suspect we're going to see Iowa state leadership tearing the spine out of any state or local government agency that refuses to accept gay rights are expired.

Do you have the courage to stand up to your boss? Do you have the support of your friends and coworkers to call a strike in a business that singles out the LGBTQ folks who work there? Will you march on your city council and demand they take your side or get out of the way? Will you march on your state house? Will you stare down a bunch of bigots in badges when you do it?

This is a big ask and its not easy to find enough folks willing to stand up for what is right.

Instead of giving the state another avenue for oppression, what if we label religion as the disease that it is and work with mental health professionals to develop a treatment for it?

Bigotry is the only thing they seem to want tolerance of.

Don't take anything for granted. Texas has been on the verge of going blue for years but people don't show up for midterms and the GOP has been doing their best to make the state unlivable unless you just enjoy suffering or watching others suffer. They'll also make any excuse to make voting harder unless you're in a rural county.