Is Steve Beshear Trying to Throw the Kentucky Gay Marriage Case?

Despite my loud and repeated praise of the Kentucky governor for his national leadership promoting Obamacare (albeit under the name "kynect"), I bow to no one as a critic of Beshear's constant kow-towing to the freakazoids. On that he is a cowardly worm and always will be.

But I think Zandar may be overlooking a possibility in this post on Stevie-boy's appeal of the federal court ruling that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages legally solemnized in other states.

But don't ask him any questions about same-sex marriage, because then he turns into a bigoted old Southern white guy.

In February, a federal judge ruled that Kentucky must recognize same-sex couples’ marriages from other states, a decision that was stayed pending appeal. Gov. Steve Beshear (D), who hired outside counsel because of Attorney General Jack Conway’s (D) unwillingness to defend the state’s ban, has filed his first brief in the appeal, presenting a novel economic argument against recognizing same-sex marriage.

Beshear’s argument to the Sixth Circuit echoes claims made by many other states defending marriage bans. Notably, because same-sex couples cannot “naturally procreate,” they are “not similarly situated to man-woman couples” and thus do not deserve the same benefits of marriage. Same-sex marriage, the brief argues, is a “new right,” so the state’s ban does not violate same-sex couples’ equal protection when it comes to marriage. But Beshear applies these assumptions in a new way: because same-sex couples do not contribute to the birth rate, it’s not economically beneficial for Kentucky to recognize their marriages.

“Though there is a cost to Kentucky by granting tax and other benefits to man-woman couples, a stable or growing birth rate offsets the cost,” the brief argues. “Only man-woman relationships can naturally procreate, and only those relationships, therefore, are afforded the state sponsored benefit.”

Which may be the most moronic statement I've ever read the man make, given all the time I'm lived here.  How many childless couples are married in Kentucky?  I'd like to know the percentage, because under Beshear's excruciatingly stupid logic, they don't deserve the benefits of marriage either.  What about infertile couples?  Are we now going to take marriage benefits away from them?

Is this clown serious?

I expect this kind of rank idiocy from Republicans, but not from Steve Beshear.  If there's any part of his record that is abysmal, it's his stance on LGBTQ folks in the Bluegrass State. Steve seems to think they don't exist.

The operative phrase there is "echoes claims made by many other states defending marriage bans." Those would be LOSING claims. In state after state after state, the procreation claim has been laughed out of court.

Steve Beshear may be a freakazoid tool, but he ain't stupid.  He knows the argument he's making is a dead-bang 100 percent loser.

I swear, he's deliberately throwing this case.