GAY TRUTH

While gay "marriage" activists claimed that the Supreme Court's marriage decision wouldn't open the door to polygamy , five people from the show " Sister Wives " want the 10th Circuit Court to disagree. "This case is about criminalization of consensual relations and there are 21st century cases rather than 19th century cases," said attorney Jonathan Turley in a filing. "It is clear that states can no longer use criminal codes to coerce or punish those who choose to live in consensual but unpopular unions." In a case that was filed in 2011, "Sister Wives" star Kody Brown and his four "wives" have argued that Utah's ban on polygamy violates their civil rights. The five adults and their 17 children moved to Las Vegas after the launch of "Sister Wives" because they faced prosecution in Utah. Utah lost the case at a federal court   last year, and appealed to the 10th Circuit Court. Brown isn...

January 13, 2014 ( Albert Mohler ) - Does the legalization of same-sex marriage and polygamy mean the end of all morality laws? George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley thinks so, and he openly celebrates the death of all morals legislation—or, at least he says he does. Turley was the lead counsel in the “ Sister Wives ” case in Utah that legalized polygamy in that state last month, a reversal of the very morals legislation that the U. S. government required of Utah for that territory to be admitted as a state in the late nineteenth century. Here is how Professor Turley explained the case: It’s true that the Utah ruling is one of the latest examples of a national trend away from laws that impose a moral code . There is a difference, however, between the demise of morality laws and the demise of morality. This distinction appears to escape social conservatives nostalgic for a time when the government dictated whom you could live with or sleep with. But the ...

The title card for Sister Wives, a TLC reality television series about a polygamist family. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Does the legalization of same-sex marriage and polygamy mean the end of all morality laws? George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley thinks so, and he openly celebrates the death of all morals legislation—or, at least he says he does. Turley was the lead counsel in the “ Sister Wives ” case in Utah that legalized polygamy in that state last month, a reversal of the very morals legislation that the U. S. government required of Utah for that territory to be admitted as a state in the late nineteenth century. Here is how Professor Turley explained the case: It’s true that the Utah ruling is one of the latest examples of a national trend away from laws that impose a moral code. There is a difference, however, between the demise of morality laws and the demise of morality. This distinction appears to escape social conservatives nostalgic for a time ...

In an attempt to combat polygamy in their state, Utah ’s bigamy law not only criminalized multiple marriage licenses, it also outlawed the cohabitation of multiple women with one man—even if only one of the women had a legal marriage license—to prevent polygamists from using this loophole to skirt the law. This second part of Utah’s law was recently struck down by a U.S. District Judge , allowing for polygamy in practice, though it’s still not recognized by the state: U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled that the [cohabitation] aspect is too broad because it bars consenting adults from living together and criminalizes their intimate sexual relationships. He said the law violates both the First Amendment's clause ensuring religious rights and the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause designed to ensure liberty. The rest of Utah's bigamy law remains intact under the ruling, so only individuals who fraudulently obtain multiple marriage licenses would be guilty. Je...

Three years ago Texas authorities caused a sensation in the United States with a raid on the polygamous Mormon sect living at Yearning For Zion Ranch , during which 401 children were taken into state custody. The pretext for the crackdown was not so much polygamy, although it is a crime in Texas, but forced sex with under-age girls taken as wives by older men. In other words, the wellbeing of children was the main issue. Community leader Warren Jeffs , already in trouble before the raid, is currently in jail  awaiting trial  in Texas on sexual assault and bigamy charges. If he sits tight a bit longer, though, the bigamy charge may collapse; with same-sex marriage apparently in the bag, polygamy is looking like the next big thing in the United States -- and no-one seems to care what happens to the kids. While Jeffs has been cooling his heels in clink, television networks have promoted his cause by rolling out shows such as  Big Love  and  Sister Wives. ...

The polygamous stars of a TLC reality TV series are planning to challenge Utah’s law against bigamy, arguing that it is a violation of their right to a lifestyle choice consistent with their religious beliefs. Pro-family activists have long warned that redefining marriage to include two men or two women would inevitably lead to legalized polygamy, with polygamists employing the “equality” and “consensual” rhetoric of the gay rights movement.  However, gay rights commentators immediately distanced themselves from the polygamists’ suit, with one prominent commentator calling it “a political gift to anti-gay groups nationwide.” Jonathan Turley , an attorney for the ‘Sister Wives’ stars,  told  the Associated Press in an email that he would file the lawsuit Wednesday. Turley represents Kody Brown and the four women he calls his wives: Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn. “We are not demanding the recognition of polygamous marriage,” wrote Turley on his blog. “We are ...