[AntiGuv]

The Bowers v Hardwick ruling which was reversed cited Europe as precedent, and so the Lawrence v Texas ruling had to cite Europe in response to that specific point. Any non-dissembling review of the ruling will make the contextual significance of the European Court citation self-evident..

[jwalsh07]

Dissembling my ass, the text is clear. He's citing the mores of what he sees as more enlightened countries as support for his decision.

[Torie]

The Bowers v Hardwick ruling which was reversed cited Europe as precedent

I read you link, and could not find the cite, and then did a search for the word "Europe" and "European" and came up empty. Perhaps your younger and sharper eyes and mind can find it. In any event, it is all bs. Kennedy was chatting about changing Western mores, and mentioned Europe. Big deal. What is a big deal, was his go with the flow via soaring rhetoric result, creating a judicial precept that is highly subject to a whole new round of judicial legislation, particularly in the hands of a court with another liberal on it.

The Europe cite brouhaha is just one of those red meat thingies, to stir up the crowd.