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| 300 prominent Republicans signed an amicus brief in favor of same-sex marriage. Image: Shutterstock |
Three
hundred prominent Republicans have signed an amicus brief urging the US Supreme
Court to rule in favor of same-sex marriage.
Led by Ken Mehlman, former chair of the Republican
National Committee and current public affairs chief at private equity firm
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the brief is said to be similar to legal
arguments put before the US Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ultimately
struck down bans on same-sex marriage in Utah and Oklahoma.
This is
not the first time Mehlman has been politically active in favor of same-sex
marriage. He championed a similar brief
filed before the Supreme Court in 2013 that argued against the
constitutionality of Proposition 8 in California. That brief was supported by 131 signatures—an
unprecedented display from the Republican Party on this issue.
The
argument is purely legal, rather than moral or religious. The latest amicus brief states that disallowing same-sex
couples to marry is “inconsistent with the amici’s understanding of the properly
limited role of government.”
“Although
amici hold a broad spectrum of socially and politically conservative, moderate,
and libertarian views,” the brief continues, “amici share the view that laws
that bar same-sex couples from the institution of civil marriage, with all its
attendant profoundly important rights and responsibilities, are inconsistent
with the United States Constitution’s dual promises of equal protection and due
process.”
Signatures
from high-ranking Republicans include Representative Ileana Ros-Lehitnen
(R-FL), Representative Dan Zwonizter (R-WY), former New York City mayor Rudy
Giuliani, and many others.
When
asked if the brief might cause unwanted backlash amongst the Republican party,
Mehlman pointed out that Republicans traditionally have had great respect for
court decisions, and given the quickly changing tide of public opinion, he
foresees no particular negative response from his party.
The
brief was filed for the four same-sex marriage cases that will be heard by the
Supreme Court on April 28, which could conceivably legalize same-sex unions
across the nation.
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