When do we start getting married?

The fact that Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto has filed a legal brief saying that Nevada’s defense of the state’s anti-marriage equality law is unsustainable is a victory. Apparently, a case that was decided last month undermined Nevada’s whole inhumane case. High fives and hugs all around.

Here’s what Masto said in a press release on Jan. 24: “The [U.S. Court of Appeals for the] Ninth Circuit’s new decision, entitled SmithKline Beechum Corp. v. Abbott Laboratories, appears to affect the equal protection and due process arguments made on behalf of the State. After careful review of the SmithKline decision, these arguments are likely no longer tenable in the Ninth Circuit.”

But on Jan. 22, the very day SmithKline Beechum Corp. v. Abbott Laboratories was being handed down, the Associated Press reported that Gov. Brian Sandoval had written, “My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and woman. But as governor, I believe the people of Nevada should have the freedom to decide should the issue come before them for a vote. The courts will now make the decision and I will respect the decision of the court.”

Apparently, it took 19 days for the governor to find just the right words not to say, “I’m sorry, but I was wrong,” and not to admit to any change of heart to suggest that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t really believe that our great state of Nevada should have discrimination written into its constitution.

Here are the words he chose to offer to Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Steve Sebelius, “Based upon the advice of the attorney general’s office and their interpretation of relevant case law, it has become clear that this case is no longer defensible in court.”

Now, wait a second. Our governor was a federal judge. If there is anyone in this state who can look at the recent actions of federal benches around this nation and be expected to see which way case law was proceeding, it’s Gov. Brian Sandoval. He was a U.S. district judge, for pity’s sake. That’s part of why people elected him. In fact, our average high school students (and which among them is not average?), could log onto their favorite news sites on the internet (Reddit? Twitter? The Onion?) and see the sea change that has undulated across this nation regarding same-sex marriage.

And yet, our governor chose to make the discriminatory statement, “My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and woman,” when he chose to commit the state’s resources to fighting for discrimination.

When a politician uses sanctimonious language to rationalize the use of state funds to further political and religious agendas despite knowledge of the frivolity of those actions, we have to wonder for whom they’re really posturing.