This Way Out: Prop 8 + DOMA @ SCOTUS + other LGBT news

American Supremes mull marriage equality; U.S. gay military activist Lt. Dan Choi is convicted of a law-breaking White House fence-chaining Don't Ask Don't Tell protest, Paris police protect the presidential palace from anti-equality demonstrators, a Russian activist is beaten after his Pride is banned, Brits turn out for Turing, and more LGBT news from around the world. Featuring: US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Steven Bryer, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Prop 8 defense attorney Charles Cooper, opposing counsel Ted Olson, and lead plaintiff Kristen Perry; DOMA defense attorney Paul Clement, opposing counsel Roberta Kaplan, U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, and plaintiff Edith Windsor; law professor Kenji Yoshino; attorney Shannon Minter.

This Way Out #1,305 Program Rundown:

"Birthday" Opening*/theme music/intro continuity. . . . . . . . :43
(*opening :04 of that Beatles song instead of opening teases this week)

SEGMENT #1 – "NewsWrap": The U.S. Supreme Court hears two historic days of oral arguments on marriage equality cases – the first involving California's Proposition 8, and the second challenging DOMA, the federal Defense of Marriage Act; PTSD takes its toll on gay Army hero Lt. Dan Choi as he's convicted of a criminal misdemeanor for chaining himself to the White House fence in a 2010 protest against Don't Ask Don't Tell; French "family values" types "put the kids in front" as hundreds of thousands march against marriage equality - and police - in Paris; Pride is banned in another Russian city and its organizer is beaten as TV cameras roll; and the "Universal Machine", (ultimately persecuted) gay mathematician Alan Turing's forerunner to the modern computer, is named the greatest British innovation of the 20th century (written by GREG GORDON, produced by STEVE PRIDE, and reported this week by PAMELA BROOKS and WENZEL JONES). . . . . . . . . . . .. 7:06

SEGMENT #2 – People across the U.S. and around the world are still discussing the historic two days of oral arguments on marriage equality at the nation's SUPREME COURT on March 26th and 27th. The high court heard arguments on CALIFORNIA’s marriage equality-banning PROPOSITION 8 on the 26th. Justices explored issues of legal standing, states’ rights, discrimination, and the purpose of marriage in society (with an on-scene report by ALICE OLLSTEIN of "Free Speech Radio News" featuring comments by lead plaintiff KRISTEN PERRY, and excerpts from the hearings including remarks by CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, JUSTICES SONIA SOTOMAYOR, ELENA KAGAN, STEVEN BRYER, Prop 8 defense attorney CHARLES COOPER, and Prop 8 opposing attorney TED OLSON; additional excerpts from the hearings feature JUSTICES SONIA SOTOMAYOR, ANTONIN SCALIA and ANTHONY KENNEDY, and Prop 8 defense attorney CHARLES COOPER; NYU Law School professor KENJI YOSHINO then briefly discusses the arguments with MSNBC’s RACHEL MADDOW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:06

SEGMENT #3 – "TWO" I.D. by recently retired "out" EPISCOPAL BISHOP GENE ROBINSON [:07] + Justices turned their attention on March 27th to the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. The 1996 law bans the federal government from recognizing same-gender couples who’ve been legally married in Washington, D.C. and the 9 states that currently allow it – and denies them more than 1100 federal benefits available to their heterosexual peers. Brief comments by plaintiff EDITH WINDSOR following the proceedings precede ALICE OLLSTEIN’s report for "Free Speech Radio News", with comments by U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL DONALD VERRILLI, DOMA defender PAUL CLEMENT, and JUSTICE ELENA KAGAN; additional hearing excerpts feature JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG, CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, and Windsor’s attorney ROBERTA KAPLAN; and SHANNON MINTER of the National Center for Lesbian Rights predicts DOMA’s demise with gay journalist REX WOCKNER [8:31] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:38

Closing Credits/continuity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:23

TOTAL PROGRAM TIME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28:56