Ruth Bader Ginsburg Officiates A Same-Sex Wedding — Makes A Dig At Anti-Gay Advocates


Long-time advocate of LGBT rights, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, officiated a same-sex wedding on Sunday and used the opportunity to discretely criticize those who oppose gay marriage.

According to the New York Times, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg proudly presided over the union of Michael Kahn, a Shakespeare Theater artistic director, to Charles Mitchem, an interior designer from New York. The same-sex wedding took place at the Washington D.C. Anderson House museum in Dupont Circle.

Ginsburg showed up in her typical black robe and white collar to preside over one of many newly-legal same-sex marriages. While Ruth Bader Ginsburg has officiated same-sex weddings before, the moment from the wedding that’s really making headlines is how Ginsburg subtly criticized anti-gay advocates with a simple change in her speech pattern.

While Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced the two men married by the powers vested in her by the Constitution of the United States, the justice took special care to heavily emphasize the word “Constitution.” In doing so, Ginsburg was implying that the U.S. Constitution explicitly grants her the right to marry a same-sex couple, as well as it grants same-sex couples the right to marry. Opponents of gay marriage would argue that same-sex weddings are unconstitutional, but LGBT allies have worked hard to prove this is not the case.

The shade Ruth Bader Ginsburg threw toward enemies of marriage equality could have simply been an expression of her own personal values. But some are suggesting that Ginsburg was actually implying that the upcoming Supreme Court case determining the fate of gay marriage could have already ruled in favor of marriage equality. While Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn’t have control over the other eight Supreme Court Justices, same-sex couples and LGBT allies can at least be reassured that they have RBG on their side.

MSNBC also raised the question of whether or not the Supreme Court Justice intentionally provided a clue on where the case is heading. While they did conclude it was more likely that Ginsburg was only voicing her personal opinion on gay marriage, they also revealed that the Supreme Court could have already reached a decision. That would mean Ginsburg knows the outcome and could only reveal the decision through sneaky hints. The major swing vote in the case is Justice Anthony Kennedy, although the Christian Post reported that he was “not persuaded” by LGBT arguments in Supreme Court hearings.

What do you think? Was RBG hinting at something, or simply expressing her opinion?

[Image credit: Getty]

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