• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Second rate reporter says what?

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

I would gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today.

“They all knew.”

All hail the time of the bunny!

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

The lights are all blinking red.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

No one could have predicted…

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

A tremendous foreign policy asset… to all of our adversaries.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Mobile Menu

  • 4 Directions VA 2025 Raffle
  • 2025 Activism
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Justice / LGBTQ Rights / Gay Rights are Human Rights / I Fought The Law, and the Gay Won

I Fought The Law, and the Gay Won

by John Cole|  September 7, 20115:25 pm| 46 Comments

This post is in: Gay Rights are Human Rights, Assholes

FacebookTweetEmail

Apparently that intemperate crank at the NRO and President of the Ethics and Policy Center (stop laughing) who outed Publius at ObWi a couple of years ago for the sin of disagreeing with him has decided that gay people shouldn’t practice law because… well, I’m not really sure why. They might gay it up or something. Or only straight people can be impartial. You try to figure it out.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Dickensian
Next Post: When It Comes to Love I Want a Slow Hand »

Reader Interactions

46Comments

  1. 1.

    Zifnab

    September 7, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    If gays can practice law, they’ll have that much more power with which to enact their dreaded gay agenda. Our only hope is to lock all the gays in a room together with Marcus Bachmann so he can cure them with his righteous fervor.

  2. 2.

    KG

    September 7, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    People who may be the subject of discrimination shouldn’t be involved in cases that involve claims of discrimination… be they lawyers, judges, or parties. What’s so hard about that?

    These are the same people that didn’t like the fact that Thurgood Marshall got to sit on the Supreme Court and hear cases regarding racial discrimination.

    And unsurprisingly, they have no problem with pro-religion judges (such as Anton “A cross is as much a secular symbol as it is a religious symbol” Scalia) ruling on cases that involve religious liberties.

  3. 3.

    BGinCHI

    September 7, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    One day the law gets really fabulous and the next thing you know you’ve got a dick in your mouth.

  4. 4.

    gex

    September 7, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    Why do I suspect that one day Whelan will be on this site some day?

    ETA: C’mon we all know that only straight white Christian males are capable of being impartial. You can tell by the first two hundred years of our history.

  5. 5.

    gex

    September 7, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    @KG: I agree! Straight white men only! What’s so hard about that? They are the only people able to be impartial.

  6. 6.

    trollhattan

    September 7, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Once Prop 8 is killt for good, squadrons of ghey lawyers will be free to march east and cause who knows what kinda havoc. This ghey DOJ is only a ghey camel’s nose under the legal tent! Also, too.

  7. 7.

    BGinCHI

    September 7, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    @gex: It’s so true: they enslaved black people regardless of gender, sexuality, or country of origin.

  8. 8.

    gex

    September 7, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    @BGinCHI: And don’t forget the white Christian women, or “property” as they like to think of them. Who here doesn’t long for the good old days when your father or your husband had to cosign a loan with you?

    ETA: And who wants bodily autonomy anyhow?

  9. 9.

    daveNYC

    September 7, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    @KG:

    People who may be the subject of discrimination shouldn’t be involved in cases that involve claims of discrimination… be they lawyers, judges, or parties. What’s so hard about that?

    The fact that the stupid is making my eyes bleed? Unless you get some dolphins to pass the bar, there’d be no lawyers that could take discrimination cases.

  10. 10.

    BGinCHI

    September 7, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    @gex: How in the hell are we losing to these fuckers?

    I’ll bet you a hundred bucks Rick Perry couldn’t do the Monday NYT crossword if he had 24 hours and 5 lifelines.

  11. 11.

    Tom S.Tom S.

    September 7, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    It’s the robes…

  12. 12.

    Redshift

    September 7, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    It’s the “vanilla exception.”

    When I was a kid, McDonald’s had three kinds of shakes, chocolate, strawberry, and plain. Vanilla wasn’t a flavor to me, it was the absence of a flavor.

    Similarly, to wingnuts like these (and a lot of people who aren’t outrageously political), there are gays, minorities, women, and “normal people.” Straight white Christian males are the only ones who can be relied on to have an impartial view of anything, because they’re not any of those special categories, they’re just people.

    (Yeah, I know it’s called “white male privilege” in some circles, but to me, “vanilla=nothing” gets it across without sounding like an attack on someone.)

  13. 13.

    gex

    September 7, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    @BGinCHI: The GOPer who resigned and left that long letter explained it all. Low information white voters would rather vote against their own interests than to vote for women’s or minorities’ rights. To them it is zero sum, and they’d like most of the good stuff split up amongst the white men, even if they are getting the smallest pieces of that pie.

    @Redshift: It’s funny how the people who dished it out for several centuries can’t take it (being singled out as a “problem” demographic).

  14. 14.

    Redshift

    September 7, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    @daveNYC:

    Unless you get some dolphins to pass the bar, there’d be no lawyers that could take discrimination cases.

    That’s a feature, not a bug.

  15. 15.

    Zifnab

    September 7, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    How in the hell are we losing to these fuckers?

    Because our country is run by assholes and we’ve clearly just grown used to it. Maybe with a bit of Stockholm Syndrome thrown in for good measure.

  16. 16.

    singfoom

    September 7, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    @BGinCHI: The answer to your question is
    1.Privately funded campaigns
    2.Corporate donors
    3.Citizen’s United
    4.Corporate Personhood

    Rearrange them in any order you wish, but that’s why we’re losing. It all comes back to the money money.

  17. 17.

    cleek

    September 7, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    Apparently that intemperate crank at the NRO and President of the Ethics and Policy Center (stop laughing) who outed Publius at ObWi

    OMG. that guy… what a cyst. no, an anal cyst. no, a bleeding anal cyst with two bot fly larva fighting it out inside.

  18. 18.

    Makewi

    September 7, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    Gays, a political stick and shield and a slur. Is there anything they can’t do?

  19. 19.

    Hal

    September 7, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    Did you purposely post this above a post titled “Dickensian.”

  20. 20.

    Makewi

    September 7, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    @singfoom:

    Democrats out-raise and out-spend the GOP. You’re losing because your ideas suck and in part because you can’t accurately describe the world around you.

  21. 21.

    singfoom

    September 7, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    @Makewi: I’m sorry troll, I wasn’t speaking to you. In the future, you can just ignore my comments as I do yours. (With the exception of this one)

    KTHXBYE

  22. 22.

    beltane

    September 7, 2011 at 6:06 pm

    @efgoldman: Oh yes. And they’ll have to sing Broadway show tunes from the bench. Fabulous.

  23. 23.

    Mustang Bobby

    September 7, 2011 at 6:06 pm

    @BGinCHI: Aw, be nice; he does the one in Highlights for Children in ink.

  24. 24.

    Alex S.

    September 7, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    @Makewi:

    The way Obama taxes and spends clearly shows that we’re winning.

  25. 25.

    Chyron HR

    September 7, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    @Makewi:

    You can’t accurately describe the world around you. SARAH PALIN 2012

    The average Republican’s grasp of reality shames us. Truly.

  26. 26.

    KG

    September 7, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    @daveNYC: yeah, what @Redshift said. And you missed the key part… if they had their way, it wouldn’t just be lawyers and judges who couldn’t be involved, it’d be plaintiffs too.

    I think we’ve missed something… and I hate to say it because I fear it may well be true: they aren’t fighting the New Deal; the New Deal is just the opening fight; they are going after Reconstruction and in particular the 14th Amendment.

  27. 27.

    Mustang Bobby

    September 7, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Wait, you mean, I could be gay AND a lawyer?

    Oh, shit; why did I waste all those years in college studying theatre?

  28. 28.

    forked tongue

    September 7, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    Troll, Dude, you come here with a name pronounced “Make-a-wee” and then expect to be taken seriously?

    (Apologies if this joke has been made before like 3,087 times)

  29. 29.

    Roger Moore

    September 7, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    How in the hell are we losing to these fuckers?

    Yackity yack Blackity black, don’t come back. I’m pretty sure that has a lot to do with it.

  30. 30.

    KG

    September 7, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    @Mustang Bobby: speaking as a lawyer, because you wanted to do something productive with your life?

  31. 31.

    Villago Delenda Est

    September 7, 2011 at 6:13 pm

    @Makewi:

    You’re projecting, shitstain.

  32. 32.

    Cris (without an H)

    September 7, 2011 at 6:14 pm

    @Mustang Bobby: Wait, you mean, I could be gay AND a lawyer?

    Even better, you can be gay, black, female, angry, and a lawyer.

  33. 33.

    beltane

    September 7, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    @forked tongue: The joke has been made before but it has not been made recently. You are therefore free to mock the troll Make-a-wee as severely as you deem fit an proper.

  34. 34.

    PurpleGirl

    September 7, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    @KG: That’s why they are supposed to recuse themselves if they are judges. But they don’t always do that.

  35. 35.

    BGinCHI

    September 7, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    @Mustang Bobby: Maybe with tracing paper.

  36. 36.

    burnspbesq

    September 7, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    @Makewi:

    ” Is there anything they can’t do?”

    It appears they can’t make ignorant trolls disappear.

  37. 37.

    PurpleGirl

    September 7, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    @efgoldman: I like the image. I’m not much of a fan of pink (purple is more me) but I love sparkles and spangles. Lots of sequins, lots and lots of them.

  38. 38.

    Roger Moore

    September 7, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    @PurpleGirl:

    That’s why they are supposed to recuse themselves if they are judges. But they don’t always do that.

    But recusal only works if you can find a replacement who isn’t affected. If you accept discrimination as a zero-sum game, then there aren’t any unaffected people. Everyone is either in the group that would be allowed to do the discriminating or the group that would be discriminated against, so there’s nobody truly impartial. The majority is likely to be just as biased about their own rights as the minority; it’s only majority privilege that lets them think otherwise.

  39. 39.

    jesdynf

    September 7, 2011 at 6:44 pm

    Diversity in all fields isn’t anything you could object to.

  40. 40.

    Tom Hilton

    September 7, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    The Ed Whelan guide to conflict of interest:

    Being gay? Inherent conflict in any area of law. Because SHUT UP, is why.

    Having a spouse who lobbies on issues you’re called on, as a Supreme Court justice, to adjudicate? Nothing to see here, move along…

  41. 41.

    KG

    September 7, 2011 at 7:18 pm

    @PurpleGirl: recusal isn’t that simple. Usually for recusal to be in play, the judge has to have a personal or closely related interest in the case. Obviously, we’re not going to let a judge sit in a case where his brother-in-law is an attorney or party. Nor are we going to let a new judge handle a case where he use to represent a party. But what if you are a single man and someone brings a case like Loving v Virginia? Your right to marry the person you choose could be affected? So should we only allow a married judge to hear the case? That’s basically the argument that the Prop 8 side made in the Perry case as to why the judge should have been disqualified (I was quite sad to see my old professor and friend be one of the people making such a bad argument).

    The fact of the matter is, when it comes to civil rights cases, there isn’t anyone that can be impartial in the sense that their rights won’t be effected. Because when you rule certain action constitutionally protected, that effects everyone.

  42. 42.

    Teejay

    September 7, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    Anybody seen or heard where Publius went? Did he hang up his
    keyboard? If anybody knows of his whereabouts please pass it along. I’ve missed his thoughts.

  43. 43.

    cleek

    September 7, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    @Teejay:
    Did he hang up his keyboard?

    yep.

    he dropped just a couple of posts after that one.

  44. 44.

    Jay C

    September 7, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    @Teejay:

    Anybody seen or heard where Publius went?

    Back, I assume, to his (academic) day job – where, despite the lack of an Internet forum such as ObWings, I am sure he is doing more good in a day than an assclown like Ed Whelan could manage in an eon….

  45. 45.

    Yutsano

    September 8, 2011 at 12:24 am

    @jesdynf: Wait wait whoa whoa…are you saying Phoenix Wright is GAY?? How come no one tells me these things?

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Truth Wins Out - Only Straight, White Christian Men Can Be Trusted To Work Impartially In Favor of the Straight, White, Christian Male Agenda says:
    September 8, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    […] John Cole] Tags: civil rights, Ed Whelan, fear, Justice Department, law, lawyers, National Review, paid […]

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - lashonharangue - Mayan Ruins and the Sacred Monkey River [3 of 4] 6
Photo by lashonharangue (1/22/26)

Mary Peltola Alaska Senate

Donate

Order Your Pet Calendars!

Order Calendar A

Order Calendar B

 

Recent Comments

  • Gloria DryGarden on On The Road – munira – Emptiness (Jan 23, 2026 @ 9:24am)
  • eclare on Now-More-Than-Ever TGIFriday Morning Open Thread (Jan 23, 2026 @ 9:21am)
  • Ramalama on Now-More-Than-Ever TGIFriday Morning Open Thread (Jan 23, 2026 @ 9:19am)
  • Gloria DryGarden on Now-More-Than-Ever TGIFriday Morning Open Thread (Jan 23, 2026 @ 9:19am)
  • Gloria DryGarden on Now-More-Than-Ever TGIFriday Morning Open Thread (Jan 23, 2026 @ 9:17am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
On Artificial Intelligence (7-part series)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix
Rose Judson (podcast)

Mary Peltola Alaska Senate

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Privacy Manager

Copyright © 2026 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!