Supreme Court Says NO to YouTube Coverage of Prop 8 Trial

By Amanda Pendolino on January 11th, 2010

The United States Supreme Court will not allow video coverage of the controversial Prop 8 trial. The Los Angeles Times reports that the court acted upon an appeal from conservative defenders of California’s same-sex marriage ban, overruling a federal judge and blocking the trial from being broadcast on YouTube.

The court did not explain its reasoning. Rules stipulate that lawyers can seek an emergency order if they can show their clients will suffer “irreparable harm.” The defenders of Prop 8 claim that their witnesses could be subjected to harassment and intimidation if they testified in favor of the ban.

The attorneys challenging Prop 8 urged the court to allow video coverage, saying that millions of Californians would be interested in watching the proceedings, and that the public had a right to know what was going on in the courtroom.

It’s disappointing, but it’s not the real battle that’s being fought. The Prop 8 case, officially titled Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, is expected to become a landmark that will eventually be decided by the Supreme Court. Scholars, gay and lesbian partners, and opponents of same-sex marriage are expected to testify about the nature of homosexuality and marriage to determine whether the Prop 8 ban is unconstitutional.

Maybe we’ll finally stop legalizing discrimination.