The New York Times editorial board voiced in on the recent ruling in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down bans on same-sex marriage in Wisconsin and Indiana on Thursday. Arguments were made last week as to why the states should be able to reinstate bans on same-sex marriage, due to a previous ruling that the bans were unconstitutional. The case in Wisconsin was brought with the assistance of John Knight, LGBT Project Director for the ACLU of Illinois. The Times editorial lauded Judge Richard Posner's opinion, in which he stated:

“The challenged laws discriminate against a minority defined by an immutable characteristic, and the only rationale that the states put forth with any conviction — that same-sex couples and their children don’t need marriage because same-sex couples can’t produce children, intended or unintended — is so full of holes that it cannot be taken seriously.”

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The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in Indiana and Wisconsin on Monday in Chicago. During the hearing, the states presented their reasons for reinstating bans on same-sex marriage in their states, which had been ruled unconstitutional in lower courts this past June. Their arguments were met with harsh, and at times disapproving responses throughout the hearing. In particular, Judge Richard A. Posner took issue with the defense of the bans in the name of "tradition":

Judge Posner said, “It was tradition to not allow blacks and whites to marry — a tradition that got swept away.” Prohibition of same-sex marriage, he said, derives from “a tradition of hate” and “savage discrimination” of gays.

Read the entire article from the New York Times.

ACLU of Illinois Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka appeared on WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss the topic of police wearing video cameras. In light of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, the discussion of police transparency and accountability has gained traction, with an increasing number of police departments considering issuing body cameras to be worn during police interactions with civilians.

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