Obama Props Up the Case Against 8

President Barack Obama appears to be returning the favor to the broad support LGBT Americans provided in his re-election effort. Today the White House confirmed that the United States Department of Justice will file a brief in support of overturning California's Proposition 8 – which banned same-sex marriages in the state.

Although previously the administration has held firm that marriage equality falls under the domain of states, increasingly the administration has changed their argument. Recently Atty. Gen. Eric Holder referred to marriage equality as “really the latest civil-rights issue.”

The White House support will be the latest in a deluge of briefs urging the Supreme Court to strike down the law. Earlier in the week, a group of conservative leaders (and Clint Eastwood) surprised many by making their support of marriage equality official. On Wednesday, 278 cosigners – including major companies like Apple and Citigroup – filed a separate brief calling for an end to Prop 8. Bubbly right-wing debutante Peter LaBarbera of hate group Americans For Truth About Homosexuality predictably called the push a "a tool of repression against Christians and people of faith," at least getting the "tool" part right.