The recent Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriages takes effect at 5:01 PM on June 16. A lot of counties are planning to issue marriages licenses starting 5:02. Not the counties of Kern and Butte. County clerks are required by law to issue marriage licenses, but the offices do not have to perform wedding ceremonies. Citing budget and staffing constraints as the rationale for halting the ceremonies, all ceremonies … no matter what the gender of the participants are canceled in those two counties.
Ironically, state law allows counties to set their own fees for marriage ceremonies so they can recover the costs associated with performing the duty. So “it is to expensive” is not a valid argument. Any religious officials, state legislators, retired judges or magistrates who volunteers to perform the ceremony will not be allowed to have it at the county building in Kern county. They have been told the police will not allow them.
Grrr….
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Same things happened in the South years ago (and no doubt still happen). This is going to be the “Loving Case” of the new millenium. One day you will tell the children born in the coming years, “It’s true, they really used to do that.” And they will not understand, because it will be such an alien concept for them. And I thank god for that!
Babe, in your anger towards these narrow minded douchbags, don’t miss out on the life/love-affirming parts of the article…
“`Bakersfield (the Kern County seat) is not a very safe place to be out,’ added the Rev. Byrd Tetzlaff of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County. `We are not expecting that many couples, maybe 10 or 12.’
“After hearing of the decision, Tetzlaff announced she would perform free marriages to same-sex couples until Nov. 4, when voters will weigh in the proposed constitutional amendment.”
News about the haters only lets these simple acts of kindness and acceptance to shine all the brighter!
Squeeze is right. I find it very interesting how the arguments made against Gay Marriage are same ones made against interracial marriage. I have also noticed that it makes the anti gm people uncomfortable when this is pointed out.
As to your post, I wouldn’t mind at all if the government got out of the marriage business all together. Still, I doubt that’s what they have in mind here.
I think that the fundamental problem here is that our society is approaching this issue from the wrong direction. As it stands what we’re doing is becoming progressively more permissive. We’re moving in a direction. And what that causes in some people is panic. How far will we move? That Cult forcing 13 year old girls into marriage? NAMBLA? If we keep moving in a permissive direction how far will it go? That thought scares people. In that kind of a world people will take any step they think will halt a progression twoards madness. And they’ll do it not because they’re bad people, but because they’re scared good people.
Most of the evil in the world I think is caused by scared good people.
What we need to do as a society is instead to establish openly publicly and loudly what are values are. Instead of a slippery slope we establish a bright shining line and make it clear what we will and don’t accept. Start at that line, Say what we will never allow, then fill backwards. Eliminate any thought of a slippery slope. We need to establish what is forbidden. Come at it from that direction and you’ll see less resistance.
Where is that line? I’m not 100% sure. It can’t be “What adults do behind closed doors is nobodys business.” Because we’re not talking about behind closed doors anymore. Is it “Anything that does no direct harm to others is permissable?” At that point we have to start looking at “Harm?” Didi those cultist “harm” those 13 year olds? Is 13 year olds in a cult getting pregnant any worse than 13 year olds in inner city schools?
I’m not qualified to draw that line. When we as a civilization draw that line i’m sure gay marriage will be on the permissable side of it, but we need to START by drawing that line, not feeling our way up to it.
is it not a sin, marrying the same sex guys?
Does the church allow same sex marriage?
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