The U.S. Supreme Court is set to begin hearings to determine whether or not same-sex marriage is a constitutional right April 28, and as anticipated, some opponents are making headlines.
A group calling themselves "same-sex attracted men and their wives" have filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court not to recognize same-sex marriage because doing so "sends a harmful message," Slate is reporting.
The members are men who have apparently not attended reparative, or "ex-gay," therapy or ministries, but instead "fully accept the reality of their same-sex attractions and fully affirm their individual selfworth, just as they are" and "attest that
their attractions do not dictate their relationships."
Among those cited in the brief, which can be found here, is a man identified as Brent Olsen, who notes:
I want people to know that this choice, this choice I made, that Anissa and I made together, is possible and can bring happiness and hope. We have been able to do that. We’ve been able to have a sixteen-year marriage. We’re raising four fantastic sons.
Also cited is Bill Seger, a father of three and a grandfather of five, who claims to be married to his wife, Louise, for more than 30 years.
"I wanted to have a family. I wanted to have children and a wife," he says in a cited testimony. "That was a big issue for me through all this time: family, family, family."
Of course, the "ex-gay" contingent have filed a similar brief, which can be found here.
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays, or PFOX, is cited in that brief, arguing that "sexual orientation is a fluid, transient, personal characteristic, and that individuals can and do change their sexual orientation."
Earlier this year, "My Husband's Not Gay," a TV special about a group of Mormon men living in Salt Lake City who say they are attracted to other men but have chosen to marry women, sparked major controversy and a petition calling for its cancellation ahead of its much-publicized debut on TLC.
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