Weeks ago, weâmeaning Iâscheduled interviews with the stateâs supreme court candidates in preparation for our annual endorsement issue. Then, one day before the interview, the justices announced they were upholding the gay-marriage ban. Coincidence? Entirely. Fortuitous? Very.
Imagine a justice who voted to uphold DOMA trapped in a room with Dan Savage (wielding a framed picture of his son, DJ) and the rest of the Stranger Election Control Board for an entire hour. Well, you donât have to just imagine the showdown! Here is Justice Gerry Alexander starring in âAn Inquisitionâ:
Itâs nine minutes long, so here are some highlights: use of the phrase âchild rearingâ (0:34), the sound of Dan placing a picture of his son on the table (0:50), discussion of âsuspect classâ (5:19), eight-second pause as Alexander ponders response to âIs homosexuality an immutable characteristic?â(5:55â6:03).
Highlights: âHow could you sign off on this prejudiced conjecture?â (0:50), state discrimination against children of gay parents (8:10), rationality of the legislature (9:10), support for the Pre-Copernican Awareness Act (11:30).
We edited out the portions of the interview that didnât pertain to gay marriage and also everything said by Alexanderâs opponent, John Groen. The voices youâll hear demanding answers are members of the esteemed Stranger Election Control Board: Dan Savage, Eli Sanders, Josh Feit, and Annie Wagner. Guest star Stranger publisher Tim Keck also chimes in.
Interviews trying to glean opinions from justices are almost always fruitless, since judges cannot comment on cases that could possibly come before the court. The above interview is probably the most youâll hear Alexander talk about his decisionâat least in an election year.