Is Jail Time Next? Kentucky Clerk Sued for Refusing to Issue Gay Marriage License
One county clerk in Kentucky has already been sued for refusing to issue same-sex wedding licenses based on her faith convictions. Even though Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis is declining to issue licenses for any wedding—homosexual or heterosexual—the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky has filed suit against her.
The ACLU’s suit is on behalf of four couples, two homosexual and two heterosexual, all of whom were turned away when they tried to get marriage licenses from Davis’ office, according to the Associated Press.
And in Tennessee, the entire clerk’s office of Decatur County has resigned. Sharon Bell, Mickey Butler and Gwen Pope all quit their posts rather than to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses, based on their religious beliefs. “It’s for the glory of God,” Pope has said in media interviews, reported by breitbart.com. “He’s going to get all the glory.” Her last day of work is tomorrow.
American Family Association is now calling on state leaders to draft protections for these county clerks, and other state residents like them, whose livelihoods will be affected by the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to legalize same-sex marriage in America.
“Christians knew action against the faithful would be swift after the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon, “and the conflict between sexual liberty and religious liberty has indeed erupted quickly. Our state leaders, including attorneys general and governors, must enact some sort of protections for employees like Kim, Sharon, Mickey and Gwen. Jobs are being lost, careers are ending and faith convictions are being tested. Cases like this clearly demonstrate the collision between perceived sexual freedoms and religious freedoms. It’s up to our state leaders to come to the aid of their residents and stand for the very specific religious liberties protections written into the U.S. Constitution.”