But I didn't know the loophole was THIS big.
From Reuters:
A bill overwhelmingly approved this month in the state’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives would allow only judges, retired judges and members of the clergy to issue marriage licenses, cutting county clerks out of the business.
Yet as the measure was making its way to the floor, a rush of same-sex marriage supporters applied to become ministers with the intention of registering as clergy authorized to perform weddings in the state.
“I registered so I could marry same-sex couples. I have the confirmation email. The Oklahoma County Courthouse site is very vague about the paperwork necessary to register,” said Rose Marie of Oklahoma City, who applied for her minister license online in February after the measure was first introduced.
When I first heard of the bill, I thought that gay couples could simply find lgbt-affirming pastors. I never dreamed that the bill could possible create MORE lgbt-affirming pastors.
This inquiring mind wants to know what Oklahoma state legislator, the very anti-gay Sally Kern thinks about this.
Whatever the case may be, I just HOPE this is only the beginning of THIS controversy. Any retaliation from Kern and company will swiftly move this issue from one of marriage equality to one of religious liberty.
Only they won't be in the position to portray themselves at the victims.
A couple of years ago, the state of Louisiana wanted to pass a law that diverted money from public schools to private, religious institutions. Then they realized that some of that money would be going to private, MUSLIM schools, so they scrapped the law.
ReplyDeleteI would love for Oklahoma to try to limit which religious clergy could perform marriages.
and to Sally Kern I give one really big raspberry.
ReplyDelete