WASHINGTON
— Sean Varsho claimed his spot on the sidewalk outside the Supreme
Court last Friday at noon, about four days before the beginning of oral
arguments on whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex
marriage. He was No. 24 in line.
Mr.
Varsho, 28, who is gay, booked his flight to Washington from Chicago as
soon as the Supreme Court announced in January that it would consider
the case that, by sunrise on Tuesday, had brought out dozens of
shivering people hoping for a glimpse of history.
Even
before 6 a.m. he looked invigorated, freshly dressed in a suit and tie
standing next to a sign that read, “I’ve waited my entire life for this
moment, so I can do 4 days in this line.”
“It
was always my lifelong dream to be arguing this case,” said Mr. Varsho,
who is a law student. “So just being here and inside the courtroom will
be like the fulfillment of my lifelong goals.”
With
no cameras allowed in the courtroom, there are only a few options
available for those hoping to observe the Supreme Court’s proceedings
without a press pass. One can befriend a justice to score a prime seat
in the justices’ guest box. Lawyers can join the court’s bar for one of
those designated seats, a process that involves gaining the sponsorship
of two members and paying a $200 fee, among other requirements — but
even members of the bar have to wait in line.
Latest Updates
The Times is providing analysis and updates — with some
delay, due to court restrictions — from the arguments, as well as some
of the best reporting from elsewhere.
For everyone else, there is a long line on the sidewalk on a cool spring weekend.
The
line formed on Friday at 6 a.m., about 100 hours before arguments were
set to begin, said Kathleen Arberg, the Supreme Court spokeswoman.
While
it was unclear how many seats would be available for the public, the
court typically tries to have at least 50 seats for those wishing to
stay through the whole argument. There will also be about 30 seats for
individuals who rotate into the room in three- to five-minute
increments, Ms. Arberg said.
As
temperatures started to climb out of the low 40s early Tuesday, police
officers milled through the crowds of people, pointing out bits of trash
between tarps and sleeping bags as a woman offered people coffee from a
Starbucks to-go container.
Another
woman in a suit stood barefoot, with her heels beside her on the
ground, and snapped photos as the sun rose over the court building. A
man paused to brush his teeth.
The
front spots were apparently claimed by paid line-standers, an
only-in-Washington sort of convenience for those who cannot (or do not
want to) spend hours or even days in line. They declined to be
interviewed, citing the instructions of their employers.
Interactive Graphic
Audio From the Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage Arguments
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday on two
questions about states allowing same-sex couples to marry. Analysis and
highlights of the court transcript will follow.
Washington Express,
a company familiar to many Washingtonians for its courier services,
charges $50 an hour to hold a spot at the Supreme Court for a minimum of
three hours. Noting that the court hands out tickets a few hours before
arguments with the stipulation that there are no substitutions, the
company’s website directs customers to retrieve their tickets
“discretely” — “inside the cafeteria, on the sidewalk out of sight of
the police, etc.”
Another company, Linestanding.com,
charges $36 an hour, with a reservation form that gives customers the
option of how early they would like to have someone waiting in line for
them — from “2 Hours in Advance” to “Please Put Us at the Front of the
Line.”
But
many others were willing to stand in line for themselves, fortified by
brownies, Oreos and Nutter Butters delivered by nearby families and law
students. Mr. Varsho said a vineyard in California even had about 20
Domino’s pizzas delivered for them over the weekend.
“It’s
been the cheapest vacation ever,” David Lerman, 33, from San Francisco,
said on Monday night. “Paid on miles and slept on the street.”
For
Brooklyn Fowler, 27, who traveled from Vancouver, Canada, the morning
represented a potential moment of hope for herself and others in
same-sex relationships.
“Especially
when you’re in a really happy partnership, regardless of where you are
in the partnership, it’s really nice to know that there is the potential
for a future — where, 10, 15 years ago, I would look at this person who
I’m wildly in love with and think, there’s only so far we can ever
possibly go,” she said.
She added: “Who wants to federally regulate love? I’m in love with this person. It’s about us. It’s not about the government.”
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