Several counties in Florida have put the kibosh on performing any weddings as a sort of duck and dodge against serving gays — the logic being that clerks with religious objections to homosexual marriage aren’t breaking any laws if they don’t offer services to anyone.
Among the counties taking part in the quasi-protest: Duval, Clay and Baker, The Associated Press reported.
Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage expires in the coming days, but rather than abide by the new cultural order, clerks — in conjunction with other county officials — have announced the discontinuance of courthouse wedding services for all, AP said.
“It was decided as a team, as an office, this would be what we do so that there wouldn’t be any discrimination,” Duval County Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell told The Florida Times-Union. “The easiest way is to not do them at all.”
He also said that marriage “is between a man and a woman” and that “personally, it would go against my beliefs to perform a ceremony that is other than that,” AP reported.
Equality Florida co-founder Nadine Smith, however, said the clerks’ move was a total surprise.
“I think it would be outrageous for clerks to change the rules simply because gay couples are getting married,” she said, AP reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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