Pocatello, here we come!

As goes Idaho, so goes Mississippi.

My bigot relatives in ID are not going to be happy about this. Boo fuckin' hoo.

HOW. How. How have I only just found out about Butch Otter.

Magistrate Judge? I'm confused -- usually magistrate judges are the non-article III judges whose decisions need to be signed off on by the federal judges appointed by the president. Why is this before a magistrate judge and does it need to be approved?

Those dominoes are really beginning to fall. We need to start a pool for last state/when.

@6 -- you mean whether it's Alabama, Mississippi, or West Virginia ?

Yes, please take this to the Supreme Court so it can either be struck down or the "strict constitutionalists" on the bench can dig the grave of their entire party for two more generations by reaffirming their assertions that the founding fathers were Christian bigots.

Butch Otter is my favorite underground gay superhero comic.

Butch Otter does not appear to be either butch or an otter. What's it going to take to impeach this fraud?

Also, according to Wikipedia, Butch's first wife was Gay.

It is a pity we never elected Rex Rammell. He, Butch, and Raul Labrador would have made the perfect trifecta of gay-themed republicans.

@5 -- the chief difference between an Article III judge and a magistrate is the former hears federal criminal cases. In general civil cases (like this) a magistrate can get the call and it stays with them as long as the parties consent. But different federal district courts have differing rules that can add subtle twists -- not familiar with D.Idaho.

@10: HOW did we miss them being introduced at formal dinner parties!?!

"I'm pleased to introduce Butch and Gay Otter."

Perhaps Larry Craig can now find happiness outside of a public restroom.

How many more stupid events like this does it take to convince voters to stay away from conservative republicans? They are toast in 2014. I hope every republican up for election or re- election loses by a wide margin. That will set the pace for 2016 when common sense will prevail and we can get our Govt. back from the stupidest party on earth. When boner and mitch mcnutless finally get over their Bengazi fixation it will be obvious to any voter that reads the news that these idiots are only doing this in a campaign year to create doubt about the current administration.

Hee hee! TWO states in prime Mo country - the LDS church quorum of old white guys must be squirming in their magic undies up there in the granite phallic symbol known as the church office building. (When gay marriage returns to Utah, I have 2 friends who plan to infitrate that building and unfurl their long rainbow banner in celebration. And as a good old fuck you to the old guys.)
So Oregon - are you next? Or will Arizona unwillingly beat you to it?

It was a thrilling election when Butch Otter edged out his Democratic challenger Harry Beavers.

Idahoans would never go for one of those poufy otters.

So yeah, Butch Otter is a pretty porny name, but Candy Dale is pretty evocative too...

Congratulations Oregon! Don't let Montana kick you in the ass on the way by.

@7

Kansas will be last, or if all bans fall at once, then Kansas will be in that last group.

He may want it to go to the Supremes but they won't touch it. They choose what they want to hear.

Why the fuck is same sex marriage still an issue?

Good God it annoys me far more when my neighbors use drier sheets then who they are married to. With drier sheets I have to walk through the plumes of noxious perfume their driers are pumping out as I walk down a public sidewalk. If my neighbors were having sex on the sidewalk I could call the police and have them arrested. But if they're spewing noxious perfume out on to the sidewalk, nope I can't have em arrested.

Same-sex marriage, I'm all for it.

Drier sheets, totally against. Worthless waste of money that stinks up the neighborhood.

It would be good if the Supreme Court stepped up to the plate and put this issue to rest once and for all. There is no constitutional rationale for denying marriage to same sex couples.

Let's face it : we've all dreamed of eloping to Idaho.

Seattleblues must have been banned...I was looking forward to laughing at his impotent and ignorant ragings on this subject.

@28 - We'll always have the unregistered trolls.

@28,

His profile's alive &... Well, it's registered.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profi…

I was just thinking though that the unregistereds have gone eerily silent. The "Danny" one, in particular, used to be good for a string of incoherent gibberish any time something like this posted. Haven't heard from him in a while. Makes me fear for his well-being.

It's a beautiful ruling.

Every time I read one of these I think back to the Washington State Supreme Court ruling a few years back saying it was too much too soon, fuck the constitution. They got it so wrong.

Candy Dale. Butch Otter. M'kay...

Obviously, the people of Idaho have no idea how much their public servants sound like characters out of a Velvet Underground song.

@31:

Maggie Gallagher is probably just too busy laying curled up in a fetal position (her favorite kind, no doubt) to comment these days.

I can't believe we have a federal judge named Candy...

Only in Idaho can one rise from a stripper to the federal bench.

@28 The Internet in Tuscany is broken this week.

Today I learned what the slang term Otter means.

@10: "They're well-known homosexuals."
"Have another beer. She's just kidding!"

@ 29 - And the Constitution.

"...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

When Congress was debating the 14th Amendment, there was considerable discussion over the language. Some wanted it be written to specifically apply to former slaves and their descendants. Some wanted it to apply only to people of African descent (excluding Asians and Native Americans). In the end, those who specifically wanted it to apply broadly for future unforeseen scenarios prevailed. This was not an accident. It was most certainly intentionally broadly written.

Legislators don't get the last word. Nor voters. The Constitution has the last word, and it's the role of the judiciary to interpret the Constitution. It's been that way for hundreds of years. Better get used to it.

And for what it's worth, this ruling is in line with every single judicial ruling since the Supreme Court's Windsor decision last summer. Including decisions made by conservative Republican appointees.

Indiana will be the last state to allow SS marriage. Outside of the north west corner of the Hoosier state, there be dragons. Big obese hateful dragons. The Klan was spawned in Indiana. The GOP is GOD in Indiana.

@42: Pretty sure there are dragons in NW Indiana too. Would explain all the smoke and smaug (sp?).

Butch Otter is my favourite US politician name since David Minge retired from Congress.

I live in Boise, Idaho and I literally wanted to cry when I left work today. I'm closeted(not with close family) and the people I work with were talking about it and not in a good way. I feel like I can't be out without these people being hostile towards me or me being fired. I just feel lost and drained knowing I'll have to work with these types of people if I continue in this profession and state. I started the job recently and don't want to quit because any other shop is the same. One benefit is that it's pretty lax, not an office environment, so I can keep to myself but I don't know how long I can hold out.

Btw, Butch Otter is very popular in Idaho, democrats are a minority in most counties. I think he looks good because Idaho has a small population and few major social problems and his stance on guns, etc makes him a hero. Graduation rates aren't good either, but this is a rural state overall. His attorney general is also looking to appeal the decision, so this isn't over.

@45, family circumstances made it necessary for me to return from a big city to my extremely rural, very conservative hometown, so I know how you feel. It's good that at least some of your family members know, assuming they're supportive, but I can imagine it's a constant strain at work, always having to guard yourself and try to avoid social situations that might result in having to rebuff an opposite-sex pass, or even just quiet sozzled evenings sitting around talking where everybody starts to over-share. Sooner or later you end up with a reputation for being standoffish, and that can hurt opportunities for advancement as well.

Try to maintain some kind of unassailable inner fortress where you feel good about yourself and your integrity, and always be thinking (and saving) a couple of steps ahead—even if your basic plan is to work where you are for a few years, it's nice to have alternatives if the job sours over time or you have one terrible, awful, no-good day where everything goes to hell at once. Research other places to live on-line and think about where you might want to end up. It can be incredibly exhilarating (and a little scary) to pack up a bare minimum of stuff and move to a city where you know no one, and daydreaming about it is actually a good way to process fears and work toward it.

You probably know or do all that stuff, but I just wanted to buck you up a little. Take care.

Thanks Rob for your advice. I do feel better today, I think months of hiding myself just boiled over yesterday and I had a breakdown after I wrote the post. But I feel way better today and talked with my parents about the whole situation, goals, other places; I probably talked more with them today than I have in months so it was a good thing that came out of it.

What you said is exactly what I fear I'll have to do, which is be aloof, not participate in non-work conversation etc throughout the day. I think I'll keep working there and just see how it goes and get to know the people better to gauge their attitudes etc. If it becomes really toxic I feel confident I can find another job at a different shop easily enough. The only city right now that sparks my interest is Seattle and I'll have some opportunities to visit in the coming months, it can be exciting, and I'll definitely look at other places. If a move doesn't work out I can always come back to my parents, who are very supportive.

Thanks for the follow-up. Glad things are looking manageable :)