ONE WEEK to KY Primary Election Day! May 20 | Download your #LGBT #Fairness-endorsed candidates from C-FAIR! Click Photo To Take You To The Download Site
0 Comments
Atherton High School is rethinking its discrimination policy in the wake of complaints that a transgender student was being allowed to use a girls' bathroom and locker room. Principal Thomas Aberli said the school's site-based council will meet Thursday to discuss adding gender identity to its non-discrimination policy on the use of school space. "I have a responsibility to ensure that all of our students and staff are treated fairly and justly," Aberli said in an interview with The Courier-Journal Tuesday morning. "At the same time, I also have a responsibility to educate our community on an issue that many are not familiar with and inform them about the rights of transgender individuals." Clint Elliott, a Louisville attorney with the Christian-based legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the JCPS Board of Education to overturn the decision to allow a transgender student to use the school's female restrooms and locker room. As of Tuesday, Aberli said he's had "about a dozen phone calls from concerned parents" and has met with seven students who brought their concerns to him.
"Everyone has been cordial and respectful," he said. "My perception is that our staff is very supportive of this and that the culture of our school reflects the diversity and differences of our population. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect." Jefferson County Public Schools has a policy stating that harassment and discrimination because of an individual's age, color, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, political opinion or affiliation or religion is prohibited — but it does not include gender identity, though the issue has been brought up in recent years. The controversy comes nearly two weeks after the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights issued guidance under its Title IX programs extending federal civil-rights protections to transgender students. However, it doesn't offer specific advice on the use of school facilities. The issue was brought to Aberli's attention about a month ago when the freshman student, who was born male but identifies as a female, asked for permission to use the school's female facilities. "We have two facilities for all female students to use," Aberli said. "Initially, the student was allowed to use both facilities. However, in addressing concerns raised by parents and students, I wanted to respond to those concerns, so at this time, the student is only being allowed to use one of the two restrooms." The situation has ignited a firestorm among some among parents and community members. Clint Elliott, a Louisville attorney with the Christian-based legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the Jefferson County Board of Education Monday night on behalf of several parents to overturn Aberli's decision granting the student access to the girls' facilities. "Imagine this scenario — a transgender student, a biological boy who decides that he wants to identify with the female gender, and yet he acknowledges that he has a girlfriend and is sexually attracted to girls," Elliott said. "Are parents supposed to be OK with allowing such boys to use the girls' restroom and locker room facilities?" Elliott argued that Title IX "certainly doesn't require opening up opposite-sex facilities." "(This is) a violation of parents' rights regarding the oversight of their children and educational environment of their children and it is certainly a violation of a student's rights to privacy," he told board members. "What about those girls and their rights to privacy and safety? What about the first amendment rights of all students?" Other parents and students have rushed to defend the student. Lorenna Cooper, a junior at Atherton and a member of the school's Gay Straight Alliance, said the student is a friend of hers who has "fought exceptionally hard for acceptance." "One of the big issues people are having is due to the fact (she) is bisexual and currently has a girlfriend, one she has been with since before coming out as being transgendered," Lorenna said. "Some people believe she is lying about being transgendered as some sort of attempt to get closer to girls and to harass female students, which is far from the case. She is one of the sweetest, most genuinely wonderful girls I have ever met, and there is no reason for all of the hate and distrust she has received." Chris Hartman, director of the Louisville-based Fairness Campaign, said he applauds Atherton's actions and says the Jefferson County school board needs to take it a step further and include transgender individuals in the district's overall anti-discrimination policy. "This is a clear case of policies and laws having to catch up with society and the acceptance of LGBT people across the board," said Hartman, whose organization works to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. "It seems like Atherton has initially stumbled around to best accommodate the situation," he said. "It sounds like they are moving in the right direction. At the end of the day, this should be as simple as everyone being treated equally." Hartman said he is concerned that the student is being allowed to use only one of the school's female restrooms. "On the surface, it doesn't really make any sense," he said. "If she is being allowed to use one restroom, why shouldn't she be allowed to use both bathrooms?" Libby Cooper, Lorenna's mother, said she agrees. "She should be able to use both restrooms, she shouldn't be restricted," Cooper said. Aberli said as of right now, it's his decision to allow the student to use only one of the female bathrooms. But that he is asking parents, students and community members for feedback by completing an online survey. He said all responses will be printed, provided to the school council members and submitted into the record at Thursday's meeting, which will be held at 2:45 p.m. in the school's auditorium and is open to the public. Hundreds of Demonstrators on Both Sides Gathered Outside Virgina Federal Appeals Courthouse5/13/2014 Plantiff’s in the federal suit over Virginia’s ban on gay marriage, Mary Townley, left, Emily Schall-Townley, second from left, Carol Schall, center, Tony London, second from right, and Tim Bostic, right, react to comments during a news conference after a hearing on Virginia’s same sex-marriage ban in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, May 13, 2014. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond heard arguments on a judge’s ruling striking down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban. Supporters of traditional marriage and gay marriage demonstrate outside the Federal Appeals Court in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Members of the Family Foundation and traditional marriage, Barbara Kerns, of Midlothain, Va., left, and Linda Gagliardo, of Chester Va., pray outside the Federal Appeals Court in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, May 13, 2014. RICHMOND, Va. — A potentially landmark case on same-sex marriage is now in the hands of a federal appeals court in Virginia.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday on a judge’s ruling that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The case is one of a handful that could ultimately make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the appeals court judges vigorously challenged attorneys for gay-rights couples who argued that the ban violates equal protection and due process guarantees. Another judge was equally aggressive in questioning claims that families are stronger with both a mother and a father. Hundreds of demonstrators on both sides gathered outside the courthouse. A decision is expected in several weeks or months. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Lawyers for a group of gay couples asked the state’s highest court Tuesday to let same-sex weddings continue amid a fight over Arkansas’ gay marriage ban, while more than half the counties that had granted licenses to same-sex couples changed course.
Arkansas Supreme Court in Little Rock. A Pulaski County judge had set aside Arkansas’ voter-approved ban late Friday, setting off a run on courthouses. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel asked the state Supreme Court for a stay Monday and lawyers for couples who challenged the ban replied Tuesday. “The public has no interest in enforcing unconstitutional laws or in relegating same-sex couples and their families to a perpetual state of financial and legal vulnerability,” the attorneys argued in the brief. The Supreme Court had asked that paperwork be completed by noon Tuesday but has not indicated when it will rule. Justices typically issue opinions on Thursdays but stray from their regular schedule on matters they deem urgent. Meanwhile, a day after issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, clerks in Marion and Saline counties said they would wait for guidance from the state Supreme Court. Carroll County made the same decision Monday after granting 15 licenses Saturday. Clerks in Pulaski County, which contains the capital, Little Rock, and Washington County, home to Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas, issued additional licenses to gay couples Tuesday, pushing the total to more than 300 since Friday’s ruling. “I took an oath to support the constitution of the U.S. and the state of Arkansas and to essentially obey the law,” Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane said. “If the Supreme Court stays the order, I will abide by the Supreme Court. I will obey the law.” Washington County kept granting licenses despite being among four counties seeking a stay separate from McDaniel’s request. McDaniel and four counties named in the lawsuit that challenged the gay marriage ban complained in separate filings to the state Supreme Court that Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s decision has led to confusion among the state’s 75 counties. The county clerks say they feel threatened under a separate part of Arkansas law that warns against the “wrongful issuance of a marriage license.” McDaniel has said he supports same-sex marriage personally, but will defend Arkansas’ ban in court. Gov. Mike Beebe, who has said he opposes same-sex marriage, told reporters he thinks it’ll ultimately be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the marriages conducted are valid. “I quit practicing law a number of years ago, so I think the Supreme Court will have to answer that question,” said Beebe, a Democrat and former attorney general. Marriage equality supporters and opponents gather outside the federal courthouse in Richmond, Va., on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court is taking up the issue of same-sex marriage on Tuesday in a case that could determine the future of marriage equality in Virginia, while demonstrators on both sides of the issue clashed outside the Lewis Powell Courthouse in downtown Richmond.
Two same-sex couples are challenging Virginia’s constitutional amendment and state laws prohibiting same-sex marriage and barring recognition of such unions performed in other states. Advocates supporting marriage equality made a strong showing outside the courtroom early in the day. GayRVA.com GayRVA.com “We’re here because we believe that the love that two men or two women have for each other is sacred,” said Rev. Dr. Robin H. Gorsline, president of People of Faith for Equality in Virginia. “We hope to hear a good, strong ruling like the one out in Norfolk.” Opponents of marriage equality, many associated with the Family Foundation, arrived by bus while others came from the Shenandoah Valley to protest. “We’re here to show with our presence that there are two sides to the story,” said Bill Heipp of Midlothian. “We’re not here because we hate gays.” John Sloop, chaplain for the Valley Family Forum based in Harrisonburg, said that the activists hoped that the appeals court would overturn the Norfolk judge’s ruling. “We believe the law’s being broken; the will of the people is being countermanded,” he said. “It’s not a judge’s place to change the law,” said Barbara Herath of Charlottesville. Meanwhile, chanting has begun, including “Homo-sex is sin!” The lawsuit was filed by Timothy Bostic and Tony London of Norfolk and Carol Schall and Mary Townley of Chesterfield County. Bostic and London were denied a marriage license by the office of Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk George E. Schaefer III, a defendant in the lawsuit. Schall and Townley were married in California, but their marriage is not recognized in Virginia. Janet Rainey, the state registrar of vital records, is a defendant and Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Michele McQuigg intervened as a defendant because the outcome affects clerks throughout the state. Two other same-sex couples, Joanne Harris and Jessica Duff of Staunton and Christy Berghoff and Victoria Kidd of Winchester, filed a similar lawsuit in Harrisonburg and were allowed to intervene in the case before the appeals court. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is supporting the plaintiffs. In February, U.S District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen ruled that the same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. The case before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is one of dozens making their way through courts across the country. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has declined to defend the ban, saying he too believes it violates the U.S. Constitution. A decision is expected within a few weeks following today’s hearing, however a final outcome in the case is expected to be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Two more Arkansas counties have stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying they will wait to hear from the state’s highest court.
Saline County Chief Deputy Clerk Darlene Westbrook said Tuesday her office is no longer issuing marriage licenses for gay couples. On Monday, clerks had issued six marriage certificates to same-sex couples. Westbrook says they’re waiting for the Arkansas Supreme Court to rule on whether same-sex marriages are legal in the state. The Marion County clerk said her office has also stopped issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after the office issued a license to a gay couple from Yellville. Marion County Clerk Dee Carleton said Tuesday that after consulting with attorneys, her office will suspend issuing marriage licenses to gay couples until a ruling is issued by the court. On Monday, Carroll County clerks offices in Berryville and Eureka Springs also stopped issuing marriage licenses same-sex couples after it was served with a lawsuit by a local attorney. Carroll County issued 15 marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Saturday, and about a dozen more on Monday morning. Arkansas’ attorney general Dustin McDaniel has requested that the state Supreme Court issue a stay in Friday’s ruling by a Pulaski County Circuit Court judge that the marriage ban is unconstitutional. The court stopped short of issuing an immediate stay, and gave plaintiffs in the case until noon Tuesday to respond to McDaniel’s request. As of Tuesday morning, only Pulaski and Washington counties are still issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. #DanvilleKY Commission votes 4-1 to accept first reading of #LGBT #Fairness ordinance! Mayor only NO vote. @WT_KFTC @KFTC @amnewsonline
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Four Arkansas counties are asking the state’s highest court to suspend a judge’s ruling striking down the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
The Conway, Lonoke, Washington and White county clerks asked the state Supreme Court Monday to stay Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling that the 2004 constitutional amendment and 1997 law banning gay marriage are unconstitutional. The Conway, Lonoke, Washington and White county clerks asked the state Supreme Court Monday to stay Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling that the 2004 constitutional amendment and 1997 law banning same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel earlier Monday asked the court to stay Piazza’s ruling. The counties argue that Piazza’s ruling didn’t address another state law banning issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Dozens of same-sex couples have received marriage licenses since Piazza’s ruling was issued Friday afternoon. Washington County was among counties granting licenses to same-sex couples Monday. Around 10:30 this morning, clerks at Carroll Country courthouses in Arkansas were ordered to cease issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the Eureka Springs Independent reports.
The reason: Some bizarre, slightly confusing, far-fetched technicality that probably won’t last very long. “This office was notified this morning by Mike Rainwater that there was a law left on the books prohibiting a county clerk from issuing a marriage license to persons of the same gender,” the office of Carroll Country Prosecuting Attorney, Tony Rogers, said in a press release. “This law was not addressed by Judge Piazza, and because of this, we advised the county clerk to stop selling marriage licenses to person of the same gender.” In other words: Same-sex couples can get married, but it’s illegal for clerks in Carroll Country to actually issue marriage licenses to them. Sounds like a stall tactic to us. Larry Crane, one of the defendants in the case which led to Arkansas’ ban on same-sex marriage being overturned, told Eureka Springs Independent: “I personally don’t think that’s a problem. Judge Piazza’s ruling is a mandate to me to issue marriage licenses irrespective of gender.” Crane told the paper that he was confident everything will be cleared up eventually, but made it clear “the answer probably won’t be immediate.” In other news, some Arkansas meteorologists are predicting a forecast of “cloudy with a chance of locust showers followed by global flooding.”
Contact (502) 893-0788 or [email protected] to reserve your spot! Fairness Campaign
SAVE THE DATE: June 19, 11:30 a.m. | 1st-Ever #LGBT #Pride Observance at Fort Knox! We met today on base to plan! Same-sex marriage comes to the Bible Belt after a judge struck down Arkansas’s gay marriage ban and same-sex couples started marrying. It’s back to court this week to as a federal appeals court considers the ruling that struck down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban. And a ruling is due soon in a challenge to Idaho’s same-sex marriage ban. For a full report on the stories referenced in this week’s video, see the links below under “Related articles.” From left back row, Carol Schall , Emily Schall-Townley,16, daughter of Schall and Townley and Mary Townley , Tim Bostic and Tony London celebrate the Feb. 13, 2014 ruling by federal Judge Arenda Wright Allen that Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. RICHMOND, Va. — Advocates and opponents of gay marriage will turn their attention to Virginia, where a federal appeals court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case challenging the state’s ban on same-sex unions.
The case before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is one of dozens making their way through courts across the country. People on both sides of the issue agree that the question of whether states can prohibit gay couples from marrying is likely to eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen in Norfolk struck down Virginia’s gay marriage ban in February. WHO ARE THE PARTIES IN THE VIRGINIA CASE? The lawsuit was filed by Timothy Bostic and Tony London of Norfolk and Carol Schall and Mary Townley of Chesterfield County. Bostic and London were denied a marriage license by the office of Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk George E. Schaefer III, a defendant in the lawsuit. Schall and Townley were married in California, but their marriage is not recognized in Virginia. Janet Rainey, the state registrar of vital records, is a defendant and Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Michele McQuigg intervened as a defendant because the outcome affects clerks throughout the state. Two other same-sex couples, Joanne Harris and Jessica Duff of Staunton and Christy Berghoff and Victoria Kidd of Winchester, filed a similar lawsuit in Harrisonburg and were allowed to intervene in the case before the appeals court. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is supporting the plaintiffs. WHAT ARE THE PLAINTIFFS CHALLENGING? The couples and Herring claim a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage in Virginia violates equal protection guarantees in the U.S. Constitution. Virginia voters approved the same-sex marriage ban 57 percent to 43 percent in 2006. Also at issue are Virginia laws barring gay marriage and denying recognition of such unions performed in other states. WHY ISN’T THE VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL DEFENDING THE STATE’S CONSITUTION AND LAWS? Herring has drawn criticism from conservatives who claim he has abdicated his duty to defend the state. But the attorney general says he also is sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution, which takes precedence over state constitutional and statutory provisions. He says in court papers that the equal protection clause guards the fundamental right to marry and trumps states’ authority to decide the issue. WHAT OUTSIDE PARTIES HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THE CASE? Fifty friend-of-the-court briefs totaling more than 2,100 pages have been filed. The plaintiffs are supported by constitutional scholars who agree with their legal arguments, by professional sociologists who say children of same-sex couples fare as well as those of heterosexual parents and a coalition of companies that say same-sex marriage bans are bad for business. Conservative organizations including Liberty Counsel — the legal arm of Liberty University — Concerned Women for America and the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy are urging the appeals court to uphold the ban. Among their arguments are that the issue should be decided by the states and that procreation is a primary reason for marriage, and children are better off with both a mother and a father. Religious denominations are split. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN COURT TUESDAY? A three-judge panel randomly selected from the 16-member appeals court will hear arguments from lawyers for both sides. The Richmond-based 4th Circuit, once widely considered the most conservative appeals court in the country, has become more moderate with the addition of five appointees by President Barack Obama. Lawyers typically face what they call a “hot bench,” which means the judges ask a lot of questions. The court usually issues its rulings several weeks, or even months, after hearing arguments. AFTER THE COURT RULES, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The losing side can accept the ruling, ask the full appeals court for a rehearing, or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. IF THE RULING GOES IN FAVOR OF GAY MARRIAGE, WILL SAME-SEX COUPLES BE ABLE TO GET MARRIED RIGHT AWAY? Probably not. The decision likely will be put on hold to allow for an appeal. ARE THERE SIMILAR CASES IN OTHER STATES, AND WHAT IS THEIR STATUS? The Human Rights Campaign, which supports gay marriage and tracks court cases, says more than 70 cases have been filed in 29 states and Puerto Rico. Nine cases have reached federal appeals courts in five circuits, and the 10th Circuit already has heard arguments in cases from Utah and Oklahoma. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, while 33 states prohibit it. Follow this case: Bostic v. Rainey. EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — After issuing marriage licenses to 15 same-sex couples on Saturday, and about a dozen on Monday, the Carroll County clerk’s office says it will now just issue licenses that include a man and a woman.
Carroll County clerks offices in Berryville and Eureka Springs said Monday they were no longer granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Deputy clerks in both locations referred questions to County Clerk Jamie Correia. She couldn’t be reached for comment. The Berryville office said Monday it had issued one marriage license to a gay couple. The Eureka Springs office referred all questions to Correia. A Pulaski County judge on Friday struck down the state’s ban on gay marriages, but didn’t issue a stay of his order. Clerks in Arkansas 75 counties differ on the impact of the judge’s ruling. Update: Local reports indicate the action comes after the county was served with a lawsuit from a local attorney. Developing story, check back for updates. Same-sex marriage supporter Shon DeAmon holds a flag as his partner James Porter, right, watches at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock, Ark., Monday, May12, 2014. Monday was the first day marriage licenses were granted to same-sex couples in the county. Updated: 11:30 a.m. CDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dozens of same-sex couples, some of whom waited in line overnight, received licenses to marry from county clerks Monday, while lawyers for the state of Arkansas asked its highest court to suspend an order gutting a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage. “When we heard the news in Arkansas, we had to jump in the car to get here,” 51-year-old Shelly Butler of Dallas said shortly before receiving the first license in Little Rock, the state’s largest city. Butler met her partner, 48-year-old Susan Barr, at Southern Arkansas University in 1985. They arrived at the courthouse at 6:30 a.m. and were allowed to go to the front of the line because Butler has muscular dystrophy and is in a wheelchair. Danny Johnston, APGay couples line up to file paperwork for marriage licenses at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock, Ark., Monday, May12, 2014. HRCShelly Butler and Susan Barr were the first same-sex couple to receive their marriage license in Little Rock, Ark., on Monday, May 12, 2014. “I am just in shock, I think. You go from being so private and hidden to such a public display of commitment. It’s just so nice,” Barr said. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza tossed out Arkansas’ gay marriage ban after business hours Friday, setting up Monday’s run on courthouses in Little Rock and Fayetteville as same-sex marriage arrived in the Bible Belt. As he arrived at work Monday, Piazza walked up to a colleague performing same-sex weddings in the courthouse rotunda and shook his hand. Piazza declined to talk to reporters. “I have already spoken my opinion,” Piazza said. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, who recently said he supported gay marriage but would defend the ban, filed paperwork Monday morning formally asking the state Supreme Court to temporarily set aside Piazza’s ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that a law forbidding the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. Using language similar to that from the Supreme Court, state and federal judges nationwide have struck down other same-sex marriage bans and ordered states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. Federal judges have ruled against marriage bans in Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Texas, and ordered Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. In all, according to gay-rights groups, more than 70 lawsuits seeking marriage equality are pending in about 30 states. Democratic attorneys general in several states — including Kentucky, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia — have declined to defend same-sex marriage bans. In Fayetteville, the home of the University of Arkansas, clerks issued 23 licenses to same-sex couples Monday morning and one to a heterosexual couple. The women who work in the office used White-Out to correct the documents’ formatting where necessary. “On our licenses, it automatically prints ‘Mr.’ and I told the girls just to change that to ‘Ms.’” Washington County Clerk Becky Lewallen said. Fifteen same-sex couples received licenses in Eureka Springs on Saturday, but outside Carroll County clerks in many of the state’s other 74 counties said they wanted further guidance from a higher court. “With all due respect to the Third Division Circuit Court of Pulaski County, a circuit court does not establish or strike down statewide law,” Faulkner County Attorney David Hogue said in a statement Sunday. “That would be the role of the State Supreme Court.” Carroll County deputy clerks who had granted licenses to same-sex couples Saturday said Monday they had resumed granting licenses only to heterosexual couples and referred calls to Clerk Jamie Correia, who couldn’t immediately be reached. Pulaski County drew one protester dressed all in white. “Marriage is between a male and female. … These are the words of the almighty God. Woe unto you, said the Lord,” Larry O. Walker shouted outside the courthouse 75 minutes before the first license was issued. Thomas Baldwin, 37, and Devin Rudeseal, 24, of Bryant, were the second pair to receive a same-sex marriage license in Little Rock. They married quickly because Rudeseal planned to take a final exam at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock later Monday morning. “Let’s cross my fingers that I pass it,” said Rudeseal, who had waited in line since 2:30 a.m. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen, whom Piazza met on his way into the courthouse, said he married three couples in the first hour after the clerk’s office opened. “It’s the right thing to do. I am a minister. I am a judge. I am ordained to celebrate commitments in marriages and I have believed for a long time that my faith compels,” Griffen said. “This is the love of God joining with the love of people.” Marion County Clerk Dee Carleton said her office had issued one marriage license to a gay couple by late Monday morning. The clerk’s office said two men from Yellville received the license. Developing story, check back for updates. |