And so it begins.
In a devastating blow to human rights today (June 24), millions in the US are set to lose safe access to an abortion as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Currently California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington D.C. protect abortion rights by state law and are safe states to access abortion at the time of writing.
As was previously predicted, the far-right appears to have wasted zero time taking aim at other American freedoms, including LGBTQ+ rights.
Clarence Thomas just called for the Supreme Court to consider overturning Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court case that struck down laws that banned gay sex.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 24, 2022
But don’t worry, folks, nobody’s coming for your guns. Just damn-near everything else. https://t.co/lHPbxmAcQL
— Kealan Patrick Burke (@KealanBurke) June 24, 2022
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday, in an opinion agreeing with the majority to decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, called for overturning other constitutional rights previously affirmed by the court, including such things as access to contraceptives and LGBTQ rights.
In his separate opinion, Thomas acknowledged that Friday’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization does not directly affect any rights besides abortion, per Justice Samuel Alito’s prior statement.
However he argued that the constitution’s Due Process Clause does not secure a right to an abortion or any other substantive rights, and he urged the court to apply that reasoning to other landmark cases.
Clarence Thomas just said the court should now go after gay marriage, birth control, and the basic right to privacy. Notably absent: interracial marriage.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 24, 2022
NEW: Clarence Thomas just said that contraception and same-sex marriage are “errors” that the Supreme Court has a “duty” to “correct” now that Roe is overturned.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 24, 2022
Thomas suggested the court should review other precedents, including its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, a 2003 decision striking down laws criminalizing gay sex and a 1965 decision declaring that married couples have a right to use contraception.
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell”, Thomas wrote.
Sarah Warbelow, legal director for Human Rights Campaign, called the opinion “stirring up fringe organizations and fringe politicians who want to harm the LGBTQ community.”
“There are clearly members of the court who have an outdated notion of what America looks like today and have a fantasy of returning to their painted idealism of a 1940s, 1950s America, certainly not what it really was in the 1940s and ’50s,” she said. “And that is terrifying.”
A truly dark day in American politics. See more below:
The dissenters scorn Alito’s declaration that today’s decision does not place other precedents “under threat.”
“Either the majority does not really believe in its own reasoning. Or if it does, all rights that have no history stretching back to the mid19th century are insecure.” pic.twitter.com/vcvCRi1XQ5
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 24, 2022
After wiping out the Constitutional right to abortion, Clarence Thomas says the Court should now ‘reconsider’ contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage. This needs to be amplified loud and clear before the midterms. Peoples’ lives and rights are under assault.
— Don Lewis (@DonLew87) June 24, 2022
Clarence Thomas, in his concurrence with today’s decision: “we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.”
Those decisions prevent states from banning contraception, LGBT+ sex, and same-sex marriage.
— Gravel Institute (@GravelInstitute) June 24, 2022
the rise in violent homophobia in online spaces, the pushback against lgbt people existing in public spaces, the accusations of lgbt people being “groomers”… it’s no coincidence. it’s a deliberate, organized precedent for the future efforts to remove our rights and protections https://t.co/z2p640866C
— Cammy 🌈🧜🏼✨ (@sweetdreamzkumi) June 24, 2022
Clarence Thomas explicitly states that contraception and gay marriage are next.
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) June 24, 2022
Notice Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas isn’t going after Loving, but is going after Obergfell, and CONTRACEPTIVE.
I hope men understand that includes condoms, not just birth control.
— THEE #WearYoFuckinMask🤔✊🏾 (@sephius1999) June 24, 2022
They’re trying to do it all. Clarence Thomas just filed a concurring opinion to Dobbs calling for the court to consider overturning the right to contraception, same-sex marriage, and privacy in the bedroom. Someone tell me what year it is.
— Chise 🧬🧫🦠🔬💉 (@sailorrooscout) June 24, 2022
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