U.S. Supreme Court to Take Up the Issue of Gay Marriage  ... >
April 27, 2015 - The day before the U.S. Supreme Court took up the issue of gay marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, a group of opponents of gay marriage held a "Restrain the Judges" press conference of the steps of the Court.  Above, Janet (Folger) Porter, president and founder of Faith2Action holds up one of thousands of "restraining orders" the group collected.  The activists called for Justices Ginsburg and Kagan to recuse themselves from the case, and lauded H.R. 1968, the "Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act," a bill recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

In Obergefell v. Hodges, an Ohio case on appeal consolidated with several other cases, the Court is to consider two questions:

"1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?  2) Does the Fourteenth Amendement require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully license and performed out-of state?" (>)

Gay marriage has been an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, with most Republican candidates and potential candidates against it, and the leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for it (+).
Mark Gurley, the great-great grandson of Phineas D. Gurley, pastor to President Abraham Lincoln, speaks while holding the pine tree flag.
Dr. Steven Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas.  He filed the motion urging recusal of Justices Ginsburg and Kagan.
Andy Schlafly, an attorney with Eagle Forum, and a son of Phyllis Schlafly.
Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries.
Greg Quinlan, an ex-homosexual now active at the New Jersey Family Policy Council.


Meanwhile, people continued to wait in line outside the Court to watch the proceedings on Tuesday.  At the front of the line are people paid to wait.  The line started to form around 8 o'clock on Friday morning (April 24).
The first people waiting to attend in person were Jason Hewett from Georgia and Frank Colasonti, Jr. and James Ryder, a couple from Michigan.  The three met when they were waiting to attend oral arguments as the Supreme Court considered California's Proposition 8 on March 26, 2013 (+).  (Below) Staffers from the Democratic Senatorial Committee, which has offices just around the corner from the Court, brought coffee and donuts for people waiting in line, thereby distracting the photographer.