Melanie Nathan Posts, REBLOG from Lezgetreal http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24878
To counter the claims of pro- Prop 8 argument,Harvard historyprofessor, Nancy Cott, Plaintiff witness, renowned for her book on the History of Marriage in the US, is testifying. She makes the point that US government has a history of restricting marriage on racial grounds. Further the rights of women have always been limited even within the context of marriage. At the relevant times there was a great deal of resistance to remove these restrictions. She makes the critical point that the removal of restrictions did not weaken marriage and may even have strengthened it.
Cott also testified today thatgender roles traditionally assigned to marriage no longer make sense and are no longer supported by laws. Cott said divorce has not increased in Massachusetts during the five years same-sex couples could marry, “and if anything the divorce rate has been down.”
She testified that a ban onsame-sex marriage deprives society a significant source of stability.
Duringcross-examination Attorneys forProposition 8 pored used statements made by Cott in interviews and try to portray her as an activist. David H. Thompson, Pro Prop 8 lawyer, said that racial restrictions on marriage in the U.S. were never as “uniform” or widespread as the ban on same-sex marriage.
Thompson asked Cott whetherJesus Christ and his apostles taught monogamy. “I know very little about Jesus Christ,” Cott replied.
– Melanie nathan in San Francisco.-
Picture: Melanie Nahan – Palintiff’s leaving Court House Yesterday after testimony at prop 8 trial
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