Ruth Bader Ginsburg is Officiating a Gay Wedding Tonight

17.60K

Gabrielle Bluestone

08/31/13 12:00PM

Filed to: Notorious RBG

Supreme Court Justice and all-around dope person Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first SCOTUS justice to officiate a same-sex wedding tonight when she marries Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser and economist John Roberts (not Ginsburg's colleague).

Kaiser, 59, has run the Kennedy Center since 2001 and is close friends with Ginsburg, who is an "ardent supporter of the fine arts." Kaiser met Roberts, 31, an economist with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, about two years ago at a gym and proposed last year on a flight to Rome.

The two will wed tonight in the Kennedy Center Atrium in front of 220 invited guests, who will include opera and Broadway stars, as well as "influential philanthropic and arts patrons" like the DeVos and Mars families.

Supreme Court Justices often officiate ceremonies for friends and family (Ginsburg officiated her son's wedding and Clarence Thomas officiated Rush Limbaugh's third marriage), but Ginsburg says that no justice has officiated a same-sex ceremony because the issue hadn't yet been decided.

Now that DOMA has been repealed — Ginsburg was in the 5-4 majority overturning a key provision — Ginsburg's gay wedding circuit is filling up. She will officiate another ceremony for Washington Post food writer David Hagedorn and his fiancé, National Weather Service director of communications Michael Widomski on September 26.

[TWP, image via AP]

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1

CornetteFace Gabrielle Bluestone 08/31/13 12:02PM

Clarence Thomas is so class.

3

nothinglikeadame CornetteFace 08/31/13 12:09PM

I'm not going to bother Wiki-ing this. But Thomas is a conservative Catholic who doesn't believe in divorce or remarriage after divorce if the spouse is still alive. Was Limbaugh a widower, or did he have his marriage annuled. I can understand Thomas allowing other government officials to perform such marriages (although he doens't want them to do the gay ones) but did he have to do it? Gingrich managed to get in on technicalities (as a Catholic convert) by having at least one marriage annuled. But Limbaugh, he's probably not even a Catholic. Maybe Thomas felt it wasn't a "real marriage" anyway, who the hell knows what inconsistent arguements he uses to justify his behavior.

2

Polly Jenna Stone nothinglikeadame 08/31/13 12:17PM

Without an annulment, isn't one disallowed from getting married in the Catholic church again? So non-religious wedding would be the way to go for a Catholic (Thomas) adhering to that belief, right?

3

Set Fire to the Room--do it now (fiends NOT friends) nothinglikeadame 08/31/13 12:18PM

His first marriage ended in divorce, not annulment, and the lucky lady was still alive.

Other cases of cognitive dissonance: Elton John performed at Limbaugh's 3rd wedding reception.

5

cheerful_exgirlfriend Polly Jenna Stone 08/31/13 12:24PM

I'm sure Thomas doesn't need to jump through many mental hoops to justify any of his actions, he's awful like that.

remember this?:

19

Jerry-Netherland Gabrielle Bluestone 08/31/13 04:10PM

RBG and my parents all went to Madison High School in Brooklyn together. Ruth Bader was the last girl my father dated before meeting my mother (who is a dead ringer for Joan Fontaine and has even more post-grad degrees than RBG(!)). Dad has always had excellent taste in women - both their intellect and beauty).

I am in my early 50s, but unlike so many of my generation had total acceptance from my parents when I was 16 and came out. When I entered my first LTR at 21, they immediately included my partner at every Thanksgiving, Seder, etc (mine was an inter-racial and interfaith relationship, too, which for many would've added another set of complications, but not for my family).

Years later (in the 1990s), my mother, by then a retired academic, lobbied (as part of her work with an anti-bigotry group - not professional lobbyists) for California to include sexual orientation in its Hate Crimes legislation (and won).

It should be said that that time and place (South Brooklyn in the 1950s) produced some very progressive, broad-minded people, who trail-blazed - and, clearly continue to set examples - for the generations after them. Certainly my folks and RBG are amongst those of whom Brooklyn can be rightly proud. Also, incidentally, both my parents' marriage and the Ginsburg marriage lasted (RBG was, unfortunately, widowed three years ago, but my folks are as active as ever and about to hit their 60th anniversary)

And, for those who judge 80 year olds on their appearance: This isn't Ida Lupino; it's Ruth at age 20 (Dad always has had good taste):

4

JaneEyre27 Jerry-Netherland 08/31/13 04:41PM

Will your parents adopt me? I'm a nice Jewish girl with a post-grad degree.

Jerry-Netherland JaneEyre27 08/31/13 04:57PM

Predictably, I have heard that request my whole life! But, alas, the position is filled, as they already have a nice Jewish girl with a post grad degree; my sister.

JaneEyre27 Jerry-Netherland 08/31/13 04:59PM

Nu? Who wouldn't want 2 daughters?

Jerry-Netherland JaneEyre27 08/31/13 05:17PM

Evidently, they quit after having one of each child-type. So, nu? So what can I say? Family planning is a good thing! That said, you as you are indeed nice and highly educated, I expect the Eyre-pere-et-mere did a good job.

10

김치전! Gabrielle Bluestone 08/31/13 12:40PM

I am a straight, but totally willing to get gay married if RBG will come officiate.

1

nothinglikeadame 김치전! 08/31/13 01:04PM

Are you cute and a male? (Very mature criteria on my part.)

1

Ygritte 김치전! 08/31/13 01:07PM

Ditto! I'll be your reverse beard!

ETA: I'm assuming you are also a female from your user name. I just want an excuse to hang out with RBG.

1

김치전! nothinglikeadame 08/31/13 01:18PM

No and no respectively, alas.

김치전! Ygritte 08/31/13 01:24PM

Okay, but I'm out the second you start in with that "You know nothing, Imelda Snarkos" nonsense.

6

Cherith Cutestory Gabrielle Bluestone 08/31/13 12:12PM

Fifty-nine year old marrying a thirty-one year old? You can get it Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser.

A really slight point but Ginsburg said that no Supreme Court Justice had been asked to officiate a gay wedding because of fears it would impair their ability to decide. Meaning gay friends and family didn't want them to put them in that position. She talked about that in her New Yorker profile and said that "of course" she would be happy to do it if asked.

I only make that point not to be pendantic but because I think it makes her cooler. She didn't give a fuck about doing it even before.

5

LosFelizGuy Cherith Cutestory 08/31/13 12:22PM

Not trying to be mean or catty, but that 31 year old looks about 49. Just sayin'

2

theboogiecat Cherith Cutestory 08/31/13 12:40PM

She's my hero. Go, RBG!!!

1

Ygritte Cherith Cutestory 08/31/13 01:16PM

I didn't think I could like her more, but that anecdote just killed me.

ApassionataVonC LosFelizGuy 08/31/13 02:30PM

Yeah, I don't think anyone will guess there's an age gap there, let alone a 28 year one. That's a hard 31.