{"id":26057,"date":"2015-10-04T14:00:09","date_gmt":"2015-10-04T18:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/judges-in-9-of-67-alabama-counties-wont-issue-marriage-licenses-to-anyone-just-to-avoid-gays\/"},"modified":"2015-10-04T14:00:09","modified_gmt":"2015-10-04T18:00:09","slug":"judges-in-9-of-67-alabama-counties-wont-issue-marriage-licenses-to-anyone-just-to-avoid-gays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/judges-in-9-of-67-alabama-counties-wont-issue-marriage-licenses-to-anyone-just-to-avoid-gays\/","title":{"rendered":"Judges in 9 of 67 Alabama Counties Won\u2019t Issue Marriage Licenses to Anyone, Just to Avoid Gays"},"content":{"rendered":"

Judges in 9 of 67 Alabama Counties Won\u2019t Issue Marriage Licenses to Anyone, Just to Avoid Gays<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Alabama<\/p>\n

Judges in nine of Alabama’s 67 counties are using a forgotten segregation-era law to undermine the authority of the Supreme Court and deny marriage licenses to same-sex<\/a> couples<\/a> by refusing to issue any marriage licenses at all. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Judges are using the 54-year-old law, which made it optional for counties to issue marriage licenses to interracial couples<\/a> during segregation, citing language that says probate courts “may” issue a marriage license instead of “shall,” the AP reports<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As many as 78,000 Alabama couples<\/a> live<\/a> in an area where they can’t obtain a license, forcing many to travel out of their way to a county that will issue them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently no one has thrown a lawsuit at the judges denying licenses. Former Alabama Gov. Albert Brewer, who was a House member back in 1961 when the law in question was passed, reiterated that the law’s language is what allows the rebellious judges to apply it to same-sex<\/a> marriage:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Certainly they were talking about miscegenation at the time…There’s a big difference between ‘may’ and ‘shall.’”<\/span><\/p>\n

Anti-gay<\/a> Alabama officials have repeatedly attempted to undermine the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, even pursuing a bill that would’ve prevented the entire state of Alabama from issuing marriage licenses to anyone<\/a>. Fortunately, the bill failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds house vote. However, Alabama probate judges, like Washington County’s Nick Williams, are refusing to budge<\/a>, stating that their religious beliefs are being violated, in the vein of Rowan, Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis.<\/p>\n

The post Judges in 9 of 67 Alabama Counties Won’t Issue Marriage Licenses to Anyone, Just to Avoid Gays<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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\nAnthony Costello<\/p>\n

Judges in 9 of 67 Alabama Counties Won’t Issue Marriage Licenses to Anyone, Just to Avoid Gays<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n