Marriage equality is slowly becoming the law of the land, as a series of judicial decisions “effectively made gay marriage legal in 30 states,” a process that has only temporarily been delayed by the Supreme Court blocking gay marriages in Idaho and Nevada for a time.
But sure enough, as America finally inches towards joining numerous other countries where same-sex marriage is legal, the right-wing is freaking out, predicting all manner of doom. Here's ten of the craziest reactions:
1. Gay Marriage Is Like The Pro-Slavery Dred Scott Decision: At The National Review, Matthew J. Franck, said that the expansion of marriage equality is like “a slow-motion Dred Scott for the twenty-first century.”
2. Gay Marriage Will Spread Disease: Liberty Counsel chairman Mat Staver warned that marriage equality would be “harmful to individuals” and lead to all “kinds of serious and deadly disease.”
3. Gay Marriage Will Of Course Lead To Polygamy: Right-wing radio host and activist Erick Erickson predicted that “all the people now saying polygamy is different from gay marriage will be polygamy’s chief advocates within the decade.”
4. We Need To Amend The Constitution To Stop Gay Marriage: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) went as far as to say he will introduce an amendment to the Constitution to stop the national recognition of marriage equality.
5. The Courts Are Inflicting A “Crime Against Nature”: The American Family Association's Brian Fischer had a characteristically crazy response, saying that the court decisions have inflicted “on every state in the Union marriage that is based on the infamous crime against nature.”
6. Gay Marriage Will Put You Out Of Work: The Family Research Council warned, “As more and more people lose their livelihoods because they refuse to not just tolerate but celebrate same-sex marriage, Americans will see the true goal, which is for activists to use the Court to impose a redefinition of natural marriage on the entire nation.”
7. Gay Marriage Is Why You Should Leave The Overly-Tolerant Republican Party: Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee threatened to leave the Republican Party if it did not act to stop the expansion of gay marriage.
8. The Supreme Court Refusing To Hear Appeals To Marriage Equality Committed A “Hit And Run”: Virginia Republican delegate Bob Marshall called the pro-marriage court decision a legislative “hit and run.”
9. Gay Marriage Is Reason For Impeachment: The American Renewal Project called for impeaching judges that paved the way for marriage equality.
10. Marriage Equality Is A Threat To National Security: GOP chairman Reince Priebus was asked about the issue and said that while it's not a “top here issue for the midterms, I think long term it's an issue in regard to what we need to do in the country to have a strong economy, a strong defense and a strong society.”
Although much of the right-wing freakout has been aimed at the courts, the courts are simply reflecting wider American public opinion. In May, 55 percent of Americans thought marriage equality should be law of the land, with 42 percent opposing.
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