Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023
Did Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly say that supporting same-sex marriage ‘robs marriage of any meaning?’
In 2016, Daniel Kelly applied for a vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In his application, he criticized same-sex marriage and mentioned the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States vs. Windsor. In that case, the court struck down part of a federal law that defined marriage for federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman.
Kelly wrote:
“The sentiments expressed in United States vs. Windsor will eventually rob the institution of marriage of any discernible meaning. Fairness, as a substitute for justice, must always reduce to the least common denominator. By little and little, it will wear away marriage’s distinctives.”
Kelly is one of four candidates in the 2023 state Supreme Court race. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Feb. 21 primary will compete in the spring election on April 4.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- DocumentCloud Daniel Kelly application for Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Encyclopædia Britannica United States v. Windsor | law case
- Ballotpedia Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2023
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Carroll students oppose Justice Kelly appearance
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Scott Walker names Daniel Kelly to high court
- Wisconsin Examiner Wisconsin Examiner
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