Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Judge - Kentucky clerk MUST do her job and issue marriage licenses to gay couples

Kim Davis

That gigantic boom you just heard were members of anti-gay groups running to their computers in order to fire up fundraising emails. Let them go ahead. We are ready:

From WXVU:
U. S. District Judge David Bunning has issued a preliminary injunction in the case involving a Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk who refused to grant marriage licenses to two same-sex couples and two opposite sex couples. Clerk Kim Davis must now issue marriage licenses to April Miller, Karen Roberts, Jody Fernandez, Kevin Holloway, Barry Spartman, Aaron Skaggs, Shantel Burke and Stephen Napier.
"IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Doc. # 2) against Defendant Kim Davis, in her official capacity as Rowan County Clerk, is hereby granted.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Kim Davis, in her official capacity as Rowan County Clerk, is hereby preliminarily enjoined from applying her “no marriage licenses” policy to future marriage license requests submitted by Plaintiffs."
The ACLU called it "a victory for our clients and for all of Rowan County."

At a July court hearing Davis said she is an Apostolic Christian and believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. She says she prayed and fasted before making her decision. In court, she argued that by issuing licenses she is saying she approves of same-sex marriage.
 
 . . . However, Judge Bunning writes in his decision that Davis' religious freedoms are not being infringed.

"(Davis') religious convictions cannot excuse her from performing the duties that she took an oath to perform as Rowan County Clerk. The Court therefore concludes that Davis is unlikely to suffer a violation of her free exercise rights under Kentucky Constitution."

The big question is how long before she goes on the "Christians are in danger of losing their religious freedom" tour with NOM or the Family Research Council.

4 comments:

JW said...

Good riddance. She has no business turning the county clerks office into her church.

BlackTsunami said...

Unfortunately, she has not gone anywhere yet and she has already said she would appeal. The anti-gay right is no doubt hoping to take this all the way to SCOTUS.

Erica Cook said...

Maybe what we need to do is show what it would be like if her idea of religious freedom was extended. You know, not issuing marriage licensees unless you belong to the same religion as the person issuing them, because doing so would imply validation to their religion. Not issuing property deeds to women because their religion doesn't allow women to own property. Not issuing liqueur licenses because the person who fills out the forms is a Mormon, Not issuing driver's licenses because of religious objections. I think if people realized this could actually effect them they might think twice.

Sam Burgett said...

If I didnt do my job I'd be fired. Same deal.