Activists Don't Want to Make Gay Marriage a Federal Case

Yesterday I reported on the lawsuit filed by Ted Olson and David Boies which is attempting to put the California gay marriage case in federal court and create a brand new "right" to gay marriage. Surprisingly, the activists pushing gay marriage are not in favor of this action:

SAN FRANCISCO - A coalition of gay-rights groups said Wednesday that a federal same-sex marriage lawsuit brought by two high-profile lawyers is premature and they'd rather work through state legislatures and voters to win wedding rights.

A day after the California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on gay marriage, the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and other national organizations issued a statement saying they think the U.S. Supreme Court is not ready to rule in their favor on the issue.

"In our view, the best way to win marriage equality nationally is to continue working state by state, not to bring premature federal challenges that pose a very high risk of setting a negative U.S. Supreme Court precedent," said Shannon Minter, legal director of National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Frankly, it's unlikely that the federal courts will even hear this case, and the activists are correct in being worried about a negative outcome that could hurt them all across the country.