Kentucky County Clerk Denies Gay Marriage Licenses

[New Grestin]

Goddamnit, people. Can we just be human beings to each other for once?

Seriously, this shit's getting old. Give the people their marriage licenses and move the fuck on, please?

Two people of the same gender getting married is not that big of a deal.

[Grenartia]

There is no procedure for recalling officials in Kentucky, though it probably works that way in other states since the clerk's office usually handles election organization.

She can be removed through a regular election (next one in 2018), resigning (obviously not happening), or by the Kentucky General Assembly when it meets in regular session in January. There is a statutory offense for elected officials called "willful neglect of duties" that could easily be the basis for removal if she tries to interfere with her office issuing marriage licenses again, but her office is currently issuing marriage licenses so there is no problem for now.

Well, that is just going to take too long. Can't she just be accused of witchcraft in order to see if the social dynamics that worked such grisly wonders in Salem are still slumbering in the hearts of modern Americans?

And no, I'm not serious.

Well, you'd probably have to pick a different boogeyman. In 17th century Salem, it was witchcraft. In the 50s, it was communism. Not quite sure what the boogeyman would be today. There's a lot of possibilities, but none seem like they'd cause that reaction, short of child molester, but that's one hell of a thing to accuse somebody of, no matter how much of a shithead they are.

[Dyakovo]

Well, that is just going to take too long. Can't she just be accused of witchcraft in order to see if the social dynamics that worked such grisly wonders in Salem are still slumbering in the hearts of modern Americans?

And no, I'm not serious.

Well, you'd probably have to pick a different boogeyman. In 17th century Salem, it was witchcraft. In the 50s, it was communism. Not quite sure what the boogeyman would be today. There's a lot of possibilities, but none seem like they'd cause that reaction, short of child molester, but that's one hell of a thing to accuse somebody of, no matter how much of a shithead they are.

Gay, child-molesting, atheist Muslim.
*nods*

[Grenartia]

Yes well, she was working for the government before these laws came into effect, so another simple argument is that she never agreed to uphold those laws. And can someone inform this Australian how this law came into place. Was it a simple court decision or a referendum? Anyway, in a democracy, people argue. And in my humble opinion all constitutional decisions should be made by referendum because really, having a couple of judges make a decision isn't really representative of the nation when a nation affecting decision is being made.

It was a court ruling based on a constitutional amendment that was adopted in the 19th century. So technically, gay marriage was legalized in the 19th century and Davis has been doing her job wrong all along. Technically, a lot of people have been doing their jobs wrong for a long time. It warms my rusty old heart to know that they have finally started enforcing the law after all these years, after everything that my generation sacrificed and all the work that we put in to get the 14th amendment added to the constitution.

But if you work for the state and you disagree with a new law that is passed after you take office, you have two options: abide by the new law or resign.

Except, arguably, this is a right that's protected by the 9th Amendment, meaning its been legal since the 1790s, just improperly enforced until 2015. By that logic.

[Grenartia]

Part of it, I think, is that the lack of a state-sponsored religion has meant that in the US people forget what it's like when a state-sponsored religion cracks down on religious minorities in the country. The Church of England, once so dominant a force, is now a fairly tame bleating sheep that occasionally makes the news when one of its bishops says something rather silly. But the English have not forgotten what it's like when the church is strong and has the backing of the government to enforce its orthodoxy upon the people.

The Americans, having fled England in part to escape that horror and thus refusing to enshrine it in their legal system, have been so lucky as to avoid a state church and thus have a rosy view of religion in politics compared to some nations of comparable wealth and education with state churches.

Interestingly enough, the New England states that were settled under Puritan theocracy are now some of the most secular, and they have some very vocal advocates for separation of church and state. After we hanged a bunch of people for witchcraft, we realized it was a stupid thing to do.

Probably why Europe's so secular, too.

Well, you'd probably have to pick a different boogeyman. In 17th century Salem, it was witchcraft. In the 50s, it was communism. Not quite sure what the boogeyman would be today. There's a lot of possibilities, but none seem like they'd cause that reaction, short of child molester, but that's one hell of a thing to accuse somebody of, no matter how much of a shithead they are.

Gay, transgender, child-molesting, socialist, gun-grabbing, illegal immigrant, welfare queen, atheist Muslim Satan-worshipping Wiccan.
*nods*

You forgot some stuff.

[United Prefectures of Appia]

Gay, transgender, child-molesting, socialist, gun-grabbing, illegal immigrant, welfare queen, atheist Muslim Satan-worshipping Wiccan.
*nods*

Yup, ingredients needed to produce Hatorade as part of this complete hateful breakfast.

[Jute]

Communism = fuck you for working hard to get money and buying a better house than this person fuck you its mine now hahahaha

That sounds like an incredibly childish way of putting it.

It's also very wrong. The picture seems to ridicule capitalist libertarianism/anarcho-capitalism instead of communism, as communists (marxists, or other state socialism advocates) don't use the word "statist".

Whats wrong with being normal and staying as the gender you were biologically born as?

So much hate. One of the reasons; I left religion.

Come on, that's neither exclusive to it nor even that widespread. Sorry to hear it was in your case, though.

[Ifreann]

Gay, transgender, child-molesting, socialist, gun-grabbing, illegal immigrant, welfare queen, atheist Muslim Satan-worshipping Wiccan.
*nods*

Yup, ingredients needed to produce Hatorade as part of this complete hateful breakfast.

WARNING: The tears of haters may contain salt in excess of your RDA.

[Cymrea]

Rather, what's wrong with the law?

Whats wrong with being normal and staying as the gender you were biologically born as?

Since the majority of folks in the western world accept transgenders, that would make it normal. It's bigoted questions like this one that are now abnormal. Hopefully you're as good with being marginalised as you are with marginalising others.

[San Lumen]

Can anyone confirm the rumor she said she will run for governor? I don;t see how as the primaries have already passed unless Kentucky law allows her to run as an independent.

[Tekania]

As I understand it, Kentucky law has no provision for recalling an elected official. The state legislature could remove her but they're not in session until January and the Governor is reluctant to call an emergency session. The Rowan County government has issued assurances that the licenses issued by her deputies are valid and will be honored. She's not up for re-election until 2018, unfortunately, so unless the legislature does something, she's in there for the next few years. And who knows, I haven't seen any reports of a huge public backlash against her. She could well be re-elected.

She seemed to have a lot of supporters on her side when she left prison and, let's face it, in a small town like that people are more likely to take issue with the backlash against her from the outside than they are to take issue with her failure to do her job.

Yes, but how many of them were locals of the county? Given the publicity and support from national figures like Cruz, and Huckabee and ongoing organized protests outside the courthouse I would not be surprised if most of them weren't even locals.

[Imperializt Russia]

Can anyone confirm the rumor she said she will run for governor? I don;t see how as the primaries have already passed unless Kentucky law allows her to run as an independent.

She's standing up against THA FEDS so she'd be a GOP governor darling hopeful.
Is there anything to stop an Independent, if victorious (or even getting onto the ballot) suddenly becoming GOP?

[Tekania]

There is no procedure for recalling officials in Kentucky, though it probably works that way in other states since the clerk's office usually handles election organization.

She can be removed through a regular election (next one in 2018), resigning (obviously not happening), or by the Kentucky General Assembly when it meets in regular session in January. There is a statutory offense for elected officials called "willful neglect of duties" that could easily be the basis for removal if she tries to interfere with her office issuing marriage licenses again, but her office is currently issuing marriage licenses so there is no problem for now.

The county prosecutor already referred the issue of prosecuting her for neglect of duty to the state AG (a conflict-of-interest statute says the local DA cannot handle cases against local officials but must ask the state AG for a special-prosecutor appointment) but the AG says that as long as the case is in Dunning's court he will not act "at this time" (i.e., he doesn't want to "step on the judge's robes" but such a criminal case is still a live possibility).

This is unsurprising as I noticed from a plain reading of Kentucky statute, her (or any civil officer) refusing to perform her duties in order to deprive lawful benefits or rights to people is a Class A misdemeanor.

[Yedmnrutika Gavr]

and so the plot thickens.. Warning! Cringworthy

ps sry if someone already posted this

[Cymrea]

:lol: and so the plot thickens.. Warning! Cringworthy

ps sry if someone already posted this

Well, she's right about one thing: she's no hero.

[Ethel mermania]

:lol: and so the plot thickens.. Warning! Cringworthy

ps sry if someone already posted this

It's a good post thanks.


The licenses n eed to be issued with her name on them, since that is one of the duties of a county clerk. If they are not, I hope she gets sent back to jail for contempt.

[Dyakovo]

:lol: and so the plot thickens.. Warning! Cringworthy

ps sry if someone already posted this

It's a good post thanks.


The licenses n eed to be issued with her name on them, since that is one of the duties of a county clerk. If they are not, I hope she gets sent back to jail for contempt.

Kentucky has stated that licenses issued without her name on them are valid...
I agree with you though, she has not done what the court told her to do, ergo, she is still in contempt.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

:lol: and so the plot thickens.. Warning! Cringworthy

ps sry if someone already posted this

Well, she's right about one thing: she's no hero.

Damn skippy. And this bullshit about two choices, freedom or conscience, is incorrect as well. There is always resigning, and frankly, that seems like the best option. In fact, if she's into that thing, nearly makes her a martyr of sorts. Not in favor of that bit, but if that's what it takes to clear the position, and let justice be served, so be it. Just stop stealing awesome songs to try and theme by, ffs.

Look. I'm probably a great deal more of a religious bent than a great many players here. But really, lets be serious now. The laws she swore to uphold when taking office were not God's laws, they were secular. If her religious beliefs conflict so greatly with her job, then she is no longer fit for service. And if she were a decent Christian, in my opinion, she would take the peaceful way out, and stand down with honor, knowing she kept her promises, as she seems to understand them (wrong as I happen to think she is), to God and can be at peace with that, and herself. Her job? Not my problem, not your problem, and it sure as hell shouldn't be all of their problem. It's been clear for some time now that this has become, if not always was, a desperate plea for attention, and to keep the matter as stirred up as possible. As they say in my particular church, contention is of the devil. And that's about all we've gotten from her.

James 4:1-2
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (Caught up in yer own shit, not really asking or paying attention to God, you screw things up.)

Proverbs 18:6
A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. (That'd be a whuppin.)

Proverbs 22:10
Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. (Get rid of the troublemaker, and life is good.)

Funny how you can use the bible to prove or disprove just about aaaaaaanything you like, given the time to look it up, neh?

EDIT: Thank you Farn - appreciate the succinct answer there. You always have been the wise one there.

[Gauthier]

It's a good post thanks.


The licenses n eed to be issued with her name on them, since that is one of the duties of a county clerk. If they are not, I hope she gets sent back to jail for contempt.

Kentucky has stated that licenses issued without her name on them are valid...
I agree with you though, she has not done what the court told her to do, ergo, she is still in contempt.

It's a bawling baby bringing government to a grinding halt. No matter what the federal government does she tries to come up with a way to delay or block gay marriages while attention whoring and calling it "religious faith." A blue state I would expect serious reforms for elected office to follow such a debacle, but it's a red state so I expect not only things will stay the same but she will be popularly re-elected.

[Val Halla]

I remember what I said two months ago. That some states would bypass it somehow. I wasn't wrong

[Dyakovo]

I remember what I said two months ago. That some states would bypass it somehow. I wasn't wrong

Hunh... Who knew Kim Davis was a state?

[Tekania]

I remember what I said two months ago. That some states would bypass it somehow. I wasn't wrong

Hunh... Who knew Kim Davis was a state?

She's the esteemed delegate from the Great State of Denial.

[Val Halla]

I remember what I said two months ago. That some states would bypass it somehow. I wasn't wrong

Hunh... Who knew Kim Davis was a state?

People like her will be elected...

[Sun Wukong]

Hunh... Who knew Kim Davis was a state?

She's the esteemed delegate from the Great State of Denial.

Can we throw her into a river in Egypt?

[Gauthier]

She's the esteemed delegate from the Great State of Denial.

Can we throw her into a river in Egypt?

As if Egypt didn't already suffer a shitload of Biblical plagues.