Prop. 8 Judge Didn't Have to Disclose His Sexuality. So There.

Image from source, LA Times

At first blush, when it was disclosed that Judge Vaughn Walker--the guy who decided the California Proposition 8 anti-gay marriage ballot initiative was invalid--was gay, it seemed like bad news. "Oh, dear! Why, he should have recused himself!" was the right-wing response, and a response didn't come instantaneously from me. But after only a moment of thought, I realized that it was a red herring. Gay, straight, whatever, the case impacts all citizens who might want to marry (or prevent people from marrying, sick as that is), so the sexuality of the judge is irrelevant.

But they tried anyway. As with trying to declare that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, the conservatives are trying to win this on a technicality. And as with the birther nonsense, this one didn't fly either.

[Excerpt]

Gay jurist in Proposition 8 case had no legal obligation to remove himself, judge rules [Updated]

A federal judge on Tuesday refused to invalidate last year's ruling against Proposition 8, deciding the gay jurist who overturned the same-sex marriage ban had no obligation to step aside because of a possible conflict of interest. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times