The New York Times: Openly Gay Members of Congress Celebrate Decision
Representative Mark Takano, a freshman Democrat from California, was maligned as a “homosexual liberal” and a “nutzoid” when he first ran for office two decades ago. Now he is one of the seven openly gay, lesbian or bisexual members of Congress.
As he stood on the sidewalk outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, he said he was overjoyed at how far the country had come in just a short time.
“I’m elated. It’s a huge, huge step forward for freedom and equality. And I’m hopeful about what this means,” Mr. Takano said.
“The court today is not imposing a decision on the American people,” he went on. “It’s merely ratifying what has already been decided in the hearts and minds of the people. So even before this decision, the opponents of the freedom to marry were on the defensive. Now that we have a clear victory, a clear interpretation of law, I think we’re going to close this chapter on civil rights