Public officials in Tennessee can now refuse to grant a marriage license to anyone at their own discretion, for any reason.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law House Bill 878 on Wednesday, which took effect immediately. The bill — just a few sentences in length — only states that “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.” Only state notary publics, government officials, and religious figures can “solemnize” a marriage in Tennessee, according to state code.
None of the sponsors behind the bill have been made public statements on its introduction or passage, nor have they given comment to media organizations. The only known remarks regarding the law from state Rep. Monty Fritts (take a guess), who sponsored it in the House, are from February of last year, when he spoke to the state Subcommittee on Children and Family Affairs.
“As societal views change about what constitutes a marriage, officiants must be able to refuse to solemnize marriages that are contrary to their beliefs. The government has a responsibility to protect the exercise of religious beliefs," he said, via CNN. "Those with the authority to perform civil ceremonies would also be permitted to refuse to solemnize marriage for reasons of conscience.”
So if someone’s religion did not believe “christianity” was a valid religion, they could refuse to give a license to a christian couple.
Be careful what power you give the people, they can use it against you.
TIL She had a meeting with the Pope).
After receiving a surprise phone call from a church official, the Kentucky county clerk says she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she and her husband Joe met the pope Sept. 24 at the Vatican Embassy.
“I put my hand out and he reached and he grabbed it, and I hugged him and he hugged me,” Davis said. “And he said, ‘thank you for your courage.’”
Religious freedom only exists to enforce religion and deny other freedoms.
Unfortunately, one of the conservatives’ strategies at play here is they only give “right of conscience” to people with political power over other people.
They aren’t giving normal citizens the right to object to anything, they’re giving unelected officers the right to torment those beneath them.
And unless you’re willing to be as evil to innocent people as they are, you can’t fight that war.
In the end what they’re destroying here is the rule of law itself.
Yes.
Honestly I don’t see the problem. If someone wants a religious ceremony then they should agree to the rules of that religion. If they religion doesn’t want to do it that should be religious freedom.
If they don’t want a religious ceremony then they can get a civil partnership or whatever which is legally the same without the religious marriage. Or go to another religion.
Religion is stupid in my opinion and the more ridiculous it is allowed to be (excluding forcing children or people outside of the religion to do things) then I think fucking go for it, it will allow people to see the ridiculousness and turn people off.
The most terrifying aspect is that it isn’t just gay marriage at stake here - Interracial marriages, atheist marriages, inter-abled marriages… ALL marriages are at risk if a person you’ve never met won’t sign a piece of paper.
Find one who refuses to marry Republicans, or whites, or straight couples and watch the bitching fly.
Be funnier if alot went along with it.
Hey I remember you, any luck on that feeding Taylor Swift Taco Bell to turn your wife bisexual thing?
Not yet, not for lack of trying.
Saying that, she’s flying out for a “girls weekend” and her friend is hot and slutty, and there will be wine.
I can hope
Very well. Despite having no power to perform a wedding and certainly not in a state I have only been to one time in my life I am officially declaring that I will not marry a straight couple. It umm goes against my religion. The first church of anidiotsayswhat.
Your love Tennessee, your move
I’m trans, that’s been the case for me… my entire gender identity at one point hinged on me making empty legal threats I had no way to back up to gaslight people at the DMV to sign off on something that I already had enough legal documentation to get signed off on.
There was a time when I was federally Female and in my state Male.
Thank God the bitch behind the register who kept using “It” and “They” to refer to me didn’t call my bluff about “Coming back with my Lawyer”… soon as I said that, she clammed up, used the correct pronouns and gave me an F on the gender marker.
Fucking hells they called you “it”?! I am really sorry you had to experience that. Where I am she would be lucky to keep her job.
This was back in 2012/2011 the world’s changed a lot since then, today, the paperwork would likely be enough unless I was in an insanely red county
Personally I think marriages should only be allowed if both people own a domestic vehicle.
/s? I’m guessing so, but you can never be sure out here lol.
If not /s, then why?
Wouldn’t want any of them horrible poor people to have a shot at happiness
What’s done in secret brings public shame. Those legislators are a disgrace.
Looks like they remembered that three new conservative Supreme Court justices had been added, and figured it was time to start chipping away at gay marriage.
And…This is what happens when the Supreme Court decides stare decisis is optional. If the Court doesn’t respect prior decisions, be prepared for every single issue to be re-litigated after members are added to or leave the Court.
GOP continue to be pieces of trash. I really wish the party would just die off, but Trumpism gave them a bolder fascist to believe in.
Now tell me, what do you think about banks refusing service to LibsofTikTok ?
It’s bad when private entities discriminate. It’s a million times worse when the government does.
Edit: I did forget to mention though, being a bitch isn’t a protected class…sexual orientation is.
If a gay person ran a business whose clientele had a disproportionally high rate of people who actively call in bomb threats to elementary schools, you might have made a really great point right here.
All she does is repost stuff that people posted themselves and you hold her responsible for people calling bomb threats. Why don’t you hold the people posting that shit responsible themselves?
