U.S. Supreme Court ruling brings cheer to gay couples

By a 5-4 majority, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a much-anticipated ruling that determined as unconstitutional the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies federal government benefits to legally married same-sex couples, on the grounds that it violates the Fifth Amendment, which protects against abuse of government authority. Linked to the framework of the DOMA decision, the court also declined to issue a ruling on Proposition 8, the State of California ban on same-sex marriages, and this is likely to open up channel for such unions there going forward.

However, the court has held back from any sweeping decision on gay marriage per se and thus ruling will not affect state laws governing whether same-sex couples can marry. Instead it will ensure that same-sex couples who are legally married under state law receive federal benefits, delivered by more than 1,000 programmes, on par with heterosexual married couples.

In striking down DOMA, which was signed into law by the former President, Bill Clinton, at a time when gay marriage was widely opposed by the American public, the Supreme Court said in its majority opinion, “The federal statute is invalid for, no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity.”

Obama hails decision:- President Barack Obama welcomed the decision saying in a statement that DOMA was “discrimination enshrined in law,” and that the Supreme Court “has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it.” While he conceded that same-sex marriage was still a “sensitive” issue and “How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions,” Mr. Obama said his administration would seek to “review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.

The ruling will also matter to the ongoing visceral debate on immigration reform, particularly to the approximately 24,700 bi-national LGBT couples in the U.S., from among whom U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may now be able to sponsor their foreign-born spouses for green cards.

Related Links:-

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Electronic Snooping by U.S.: India in top 5 list

Continuing its series of exposés on the manner in which the United States has been harvesting electronic communication from national and international communication traffic, The Guardian newspaper has acquired top-secret documents about a data mining tool used by the National Security Agency (NSA), called Boundless Informant, “that details and even maps by country the voluminous amount of information it collects from computer and telephone networks.”

A snapshot of the Boundless Informant data, contained in what The Guardian describes as a top secret NSA “global heat map” gives an insight into the sheer volume of data being collected by America’s most secretive intelligence agency: In March 2013 alone, it harvested a whopping 97 billion “pieces of intelligence from computer networks worldwide.”

Most intensively watched countries by U.S.
#	Country
1	Iran
2	Pakistan
3	Jordan
4	Egypt
5	India

Iran was the country where the largest amount of intelligence was gathered, says the newspaper, with more than 14 billion reports in that period, followed by 13.5 billion from Pakistan. Though the U.S. administration may justify the focus on these two countries because of the nuclear programme of the former and because many terrorist groups operate from the territory of the latter, the fact that India clocks in fifth with 6.3 billion pieces of information collected from the country’s computer and data networks in one month alone is bound to cause alarm and consternation in New Delhi. Jordan and Egypt are the third and fourth most intensively watched countries.

Though the Obama administration has attempted to reassure domestic public opinion in America that its spying operations are mainly directed outwards, The Guardian says the Boundless Informant documents show the NSA “collecting almost 3 billion pieces of intelligence from U.S. computer networks over a 30-day period ending in March 2013.”

The newspaper reproduced one of the NSA’s colour-coded “heatmaps,” according to which countries are more extensively monitored. The colours range from green, for the least amount of surveillance, to yellow, orange and finally red for those subjected to the most surveillance. India is coded orange. The extent of the NSA’s surveillance of Indian communication traffic is greater than its electronic snooping efforts in China, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Gay marriage equality logo goes viral

            Gay marriage supporters across the U.S. have changed their profile pictures to a stark red equal sign as they monitor the Supreme Court’s hearing of California’s Proposition 8. The red equal sign is an alteration of the Human Rights Campaign’s standard blue and yellow logo. The advocacy group, which “seeks to improve the lives of LGBT Americans,” has called on its followers to show support for marriage equality by wearing red.

 The special logo has been shared more than 26,000 times. Celebrities like TV star Sophia Bush, N’Sync’s Lance Bass and Star Trek’s George Takei have used the logo on their Facebook or Twitter pages. A number of politicians also followed suit.  As sometimes happens in the social media realm, the logo has become so popular that offshoots of it have already been created and are now being shared. Some of the new logos change color scheme, while others attempt to symbolically tweak the message.

One particularly popular choice is a red logo that displays a greater-than sign rather than an equal sign. According to written explanations Facebook users have provided with the picture, many say the greater-than sign offers a critique of the equal sign: Inequality will continue, they say, even if the high court strikes down California’s ban on gay marriage.

India's stand on gay:-

Our Supreme Court is yet to rule on the repeal of the anachronistic  Section 377 that criminalized sex against the order of nature. That is the first order of business. Once the basis for discrimination against homosexuals is removed, then one can question all the institutions they are barred from. When the day for that argument for same-sex marriage finally comes in India, we can say that our marriage laws are already “same-sex marriage-ready.” But to imply from that that India is ready for same-sex marriage would be putting the cart well before the horse. 

Related links:-

Hillary clinton supports gay marriages

Hillary Clinton announces support for gay marriage

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her support for gay marriage, putting her in line with other potential Democratic presidential candidates on a social issue that is rapidly gaining public approval. Clinton made the announcement in an online video released by the gay rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. She says in the six-minute video that gays and lesbians are "full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship."

"That includes marriage," she says, adding that she backs gay marriage both "personally and as a matter of policy and law."

Clinton's announcement is certain to further fuel the already rampant speculation that she is considering another run for president in 2016. Other possible Democratic contenders - including Vice President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley - all back the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Polls show that public opinion on gay marriage has shifted perhaps more rapidly than on any other major issue in recent times. In Gallup polling last November, 53 percent of adult Americans said same-sex marriages should be granted the same status as traditional marriages, while 46 percent felt they should not be valid. [In 1996, when Gallup first asked about gay marriages, 27 percent felt they should be valid]

The shift among the major political parties has been equally swift. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Clinton and rival Barack Obama both backed civil unions for gay couples, but not same-sex marriage. In the lead-up to the 2012 election, Obama announced his support for gay marriage and Democrats backed the right of same-sex couples to wed in their party's official platform.

The GOP officially opposes gay marriage, though several high profile Republicans have publicly backed the right of same-sex couples to wed. Earlier, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman became the first Republican senator to announce his support for gay marriage, saying he had a change of heart after learning that his son is gay.

More than 100 Republicans also submitted a "friend of the court" brief to the Supreme Court asking the justices to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. The court will hear oral arguments on California's Proposition 8 measure later.

Justices will also hear arguments in a related case concerning the constitutionality of a provision in the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. President Bill Clinton signed the act into law in 1996, but said earlier this month that he now believes it is unconstitutional and should be overturned.

Despite holding back in supporting same-sex marriage, Hillary Clinton was a strong support of gay rights, both in the U.S. and abroad, during her tenure at the State Department. Under her watch, the U.S. government made it official policy to promote gay rights around the world.

Sri Lanka war crimes: Govt in a bind after DMK threat, Jaya's letter

Shaken up by DMK chief M Karunanidhi's threat of pulling out his ministers from the UPA Cabinet if his demands on the UNHRC vote against Sri Lanka are not met, the Congress (March 18, 2013) sent its leaders to placate him. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister AK Antony and Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad met Karunanidhi at his residence in an attempt to bridge differences between the two allies.

The DMK wants the words 'genocide' and 'Eelam' added to the US-sponsored resolution in UNHRC against Sri Lanka. Apart from a vote against Sri Lanka and adding the words 'genocide' and 'Eelam', Karunanidhi has also sought a time-bound international probe into the alleged Sri Lankan war crimes and has demanded that India should move these amendments in the US-backed resolution.

However, the Centre is opposed to the idea of 'Eelam' and will not accept the term 'genocide'. India is also said to be against an 'international' probe into the alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan army during the battle with LTTE cadres.

Following Karunanidhi's threat, the Congress seems to be walking a tightrope as its relations with the DMK has been under strain for the past several months. The arrest of DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case and the blame game between the two parties after a dismal show in Tamil Nadu Assembly polls have been the major sticking points.

In 2012 India was forced to vote against Sri Lanka in UNHRC due to DMK pressure and is likely to vote in favour of the amended resolution again.

To add to UPA's troubles, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister                        J Jayalalithaa has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding that the government move amendments to the US-backed resolution. The government has, meanwhile, called India's ambassador to the UN, Dilip Sinha for consultations.

The big question now is whether the DMK will pull out of the UPA if its demands are not met.

A look at the numbers in Parliament:

15th Lok Sabha - Total 539

Halfway mark - 270

UPA - 250

Congress 202

NCP 9

RLD 5

Others 16

DMK 18

Outside Support to UPA - 49

BSP 21

SP 22

RJD 3

JDS 3

NDA - 152

Left + Others 88

About UNHRC

Jaya's letter to PM on related with Sri Lanka and UNHRC