Five years ago this week: Georgia’s gay marriage ban
Five years before the country erupted in protest over California’s passage of Proposition 8, Georgia was gearing up for its own vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Five years before the country erupted in protest over California’s passage of Proposition 8, Georgia was gearing up for its own vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
What a bummer that the one time we’re years ahead of California on a national trend, it has to be something that’s a source of disgrace.
In 2004, in the months leading up to the passage of Georgia’s amendment, then-CL staff writer Kevin Griffis penned a delicious story that pointed to the hypocrisy of state lawmakers who supported the anti-gay-marriage bill. One lawmaker in particular who wanted to keep gays from marrying — in order to protect the “sanctity” of marriage — was accused in court papers of cheating on his wife with two married women.
Without further ado, here’s Griffis’ 2004 story:
State senator preaches “sanctity of marriage,’ is accused of adultery
During Monday’s Senate debate over a resolution to put a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage before Georgia voters, Sen. Steve Thompson issued a warning to his colleagues.
“You’re trying to out-moralize each other over here and some of you are going to break your necks,” the Powder Springs Democrat said. “Because that white horse is tall, and that fall has a kick.”
In other words, don’t cast stones if you live in a glass house.
The debate over the anti-gay marriage amendment, which the Senate approved and sent to the House on Monday, has the state Capitol boiling over with long-simmering rumors of extramarital affairs by the very people now holding themselves up as defenders of “the sanctity” of marriage. And at least one prominent state senator who supported the anti-gay amendment has been accused in court of an affair.
Sen. Joey Brush, R-Martinez, is alleged to have had extramarital affairs during the last decade with two women — one of whom, under oath in a 1997 Columbia County divorce case, identified Brush as a sexual partner.
“That had nothing to do with the vote yesterday,” he said. “The vote yesterday was about same-sex marriages. That’s all it was about, and that’s what the people of my district want to do, vote on it.”
Asked if he’d find it hypocritical to legislate morality if he didn’t abide by his own wedding vows, Brush — the Senate Education Committee chairman — retorted, “Well, I find you pretty hypocritical.” He then trotted away.