Barring Complications by Blythe Rippon

Barring Complications
by Blythe Rippon
Pages: 396
Date: October 1 2014
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.25
Read: September 28 to October 1 2016

In 2010, a specific case came before a California district court – a case focused on California’s Proposition 8. In attendance was a specific individual without legal training, though with a graduate degree. Four years later, a book appeared titled ‘Barring Complications.’ That book was about a fight before the U.S. Supreme Court that argued the constitutionality of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).

On that Supreme Court was a specific justice, the ‘newest’ justice on the bench. Rumors float about her, but she’s never confirmed these rumors – that she’s a lesbian. This would be Justice Victoria Willoughby. Something like 20 years before the start of this book, this same woman attended a specific law school – at which school she developed a relationship with one Genevieve Fornier.

Then and now, Genevieve was an out and proud lesbian. At the time, Victoria wasn’t. And, as already noted, Victoria’s orientation isn’t exactly known now either. Still, they had a connection and both wished to be in a relationship.

Then Genevieve sent in a particular letter to the editor about a specific incident – including words indicating something along the lines of ‘as a lesbian myself I . . .’. Genevieve was quite happy with herself. And saw a bright future. Victoria did not see things the same way. She angrily severed all communications immediately.

Twenty or so years passed. Genevieve is a high flying successful lawyer, and new head of HER (I forget now the specific name behind the letters, though in effect it’s a group fighting for women’s rights, and, potentially (I forget now), specifically lesbian rights). This part, the HER part, matters. Because three organizations, all of which are linked to LGBT, backed a case against DOMA. Their clients were people legally married in a state wherein same sex marriage was legal.

That matter, or the case, is now on the Supreme Court docket. The justices agree to hear the case. Arguments appear immediately, in the media, about whether or not Victoria should recuse herself – for lesbian reasons. Unknown to those calling for this rucusal would be the part wherein one of the lawyers arguing in the Supreme Court would be an ex-girlfriend – one Genevieve Fornier.

Great love was, apparently, felt between Genevieve and Victoria. Their lives were shaped by their decisions and their desires – Victoria’s desire to get on the Supreme Court (expressed while in law school), and Genevieve’s desire to be both openly lesbian and defend and/or argue for the rights of the LGBT community. Plus, when their relationship dissolved, because Victoria didn’t think a lesbian could make it onto the bench and her girlfriend, at the time, was way too open about herself, both (though more Genevieve) made career decisions to attempt to stick clear of the other.

Less than 1 year after this book appeared (roughly 7 or 8 months), arguments were heard before the US Supreme Court in the case of ‘Obergefell v. Hodges’. Argued April 28 2015. Decided June 26 2015. Meaning that this book had roughly 6 to 7 months to ‘live’ before becoming outdated. That statement is not to be taken as a spoiler – any fictional decision in the book would become ‘outdated’ by real events.

I mention that because I had that thought while reading the book. I liked the two main characters. It’d be interesting to see them in future works. Except . . . they are trapped in a universe that doesn’t match our own, while matching it too well to be seen as some kind of alternate realm. Any future work would be hampered by involving people whose history did not match reality.

It took me 3 or 4 days to get around to writing something in the review box, and I come up with this here. Well, it was a thought I had while reading the book. I read this book because it looked interesting and because 15 days before I started it, I’d read a book that involved an attempt to put a lesbian law school dean onto the Supreme Court (Carsen Taite’s ‘Courtship’). And here we had a lesbian Supreme Court justice hearing a case on the Supreme Court. Seemed fitting and linked somehow.

Hmm. A fire has broken out in my building so I’ll have to depart for now.

October 4 2016