The seventh day of the Prop. 8 trial has just concluded, with a bit of intrigue from Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker as Stanford professor Gary Segura wrapped his testimony for the day. Segura has been testifying all day on how gays and lesbians have no “meaningful” political power, and has been under cross-examination from Prop. 8 lawyer David Thompson, who has been openly doubting the professor’s theory. Among other things, Segura has noted that gay rights have been consistently overturned by voter initiatives around the nation. At the end of the day, Walker interjected with one question: “Does losing elections or failing to get legislation denote political powerlessness” that warrants extra legal protections and intervention from the courts?

Segura replied that if the judge looks at the “range of events,” the losses suffered by gays and lesbians shows a “long-standing prejudice” that has squelched their political powers. The plaintiffs are presenting the political vulnerability evidence to show gays and lesbians do need extra legal protections under the federal constitution.

Read the rest of Howard Mintz’s San Jose Mercury article here.