The following video and photos are by Catherine S. Read, who is at the U.S. Courthouse in Richmond “with my Equality Virginia peeps and the folks from POFEV (People of Faith for Equality in Virginia).” The reason? As Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s office explains: “Attorney General Mark R. Herring will attend oral argument before the Fourth Circuit in Bostic v. Schaefer, the appeal of the federal district court decision which struck down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. Appellants and appellees will each have thirty minutes for arguments and questions. Virginia Solicitor General Stuart Raphael will argue in court on behalf of the Commonwealth.” Needless to say, it’s long past time to strike down the Marshall-Newman anti-gay-marriage amendment to Virginia’s constitution. In fact, it never should have been voted into the constitution in the first place (note: this is a prime example of why I have a deep distrust of referendums).
UPDATE 11:18 am: Michael Lavers (@mklavers81) of the Washington Blade tweets, “Judges skeptical of argument #marriage is necessary for procreation of children; question the definition of marriage…@AGMarkHerring Today was a moment in #Virginia that should make the commonwealth proud.”
UPDATE 11:01 am: BuzzFeed legal editor Chris Geidner tweets: “First take: Virginia marriage amendment likely will be struck down by 4th Circuit, by Judges Gregory and Floyd. Niemeyer likely to dissent.” Geidner adds: “Gregory focused on marriage being an individual right, at times asking whether the Virginia focus on procreation was ‘totalitarianism.'” and “Niemeyer focused on man/woman marriage being historical understanding and same-sex marriage being something diff bc no natural procreation…’It takes a male and female to have a child, to have a family.'”
UPDATE 10:55 am: @ryanobles tweets, “Just left the courtroom after the historic hearing in VA’s #SSM Ban.. Walked out into an incredible scene. pic.twitter.com/SmR4W5a9US ”
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