Richmond Times-Dispatch: Clerks Opposed to Gay Marriage Should Resign

Photo: Timothy D. Easley/AP

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is among Virginia's most conservative newspapers.  Such being the case, it often hawks reactionary Republican talking points, especially in its editorials.  Thus, it was a surprise to see the Times-Dispatch  commuting political heresy in an editorial that said court clerks who oppose same sex marriage and refuse to do their jobs need to resign.  The piece argues that once one takes a position as a public official, personal rights on religious belief and other issues often go out the window.  The same, of course, should be true of organizations accepting taxpayer funds: once you take public dollars, your right to discriminate against members of the public must cease (it's a concept lost on Catholic agencies here in Virginia).  Here are editorial highlights:

Kim Davis, the county clerk in Rowan County, Ky., is carrying out her own form of massive resistance. Despite a federal court order, she refuses to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. A few other clerks across the country are doing the same.

The clerks claim to be exercising their First Amendment right to religious liberty, just as a few bakers, photographers and others have exercised theirs by declining to provide services for gay weddings. But the two situations are not the same.

Individuals can exercise many rights as private citizens that they cannot exercise as government officials. Teachers, for instance, are free to stand on the street corner on the weekend and urge everyone within hearing distance to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. They can’t do the same thing in the public-school classroom.

Religious scruples are a legitimate reason for a church not to perform marriage rites for gay couples. They are not a legitimate grounds for government to deny marriage licenses; the Supreme Court has ruled that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry. Davis cannot turn her own interpretation of Christianity into public policy for Rowan County. If she sincerely believes that abetting gay marriage is an affront to her conscience, then she has only one option left: Quit.

Note the interesting correlation made to Davis' conduct and "massive resistance," one of the most shameful parts of Virginia's history when public schools in some counties were closed rather than  allow black students attend.   There is a direct correlation between racists and segregationist and folks like Davis who are raising the false cry of "religious liberty" whether or not the godly folk are willing to take a good look at themselves int he mirror.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to Veto Anti-gay Marriage Recusal Bill

Lately, the North Carolina Republican Party has been working hard to out do the insanity/batshitery of the Virginia GOP.  A case in point?  A bill passed by the GOP controlled North Carolina legislature that would allow court officials to opt out of same-sex marriage duties based on "sincerely held religious" objections.  Stated another way, the bill would have allowed Christofascists to ignore laws of general application - a special right, if you will.  Much to the surprise of many, North Carolina GOP Governor Pat McCrory (pictured at right) has announced that he will veto the bill which may not have enough support in the legislature to over ride McCrory's veto.  In his statement as to why he will veto the bill, McCrory sent a message that needs to be sent over and over to the Christofascists, namely, that they are NOT above the law and that when one accepts a job or governmental position, you cannot cite religious belief to avoid your duties and responsibilities.   Here are details via ABC11 News:

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory says he'll "defend the Constitution" and will veto a gay marriage objections bill that would allow court officials to opt out of same-sex marriage duties based on "sincerely held religious" objections.

"I recognize that for many North Carolinians, including myself, opinions on same-sex marriage come from sincerely held religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. However, we are a nation and a state of laws. Whether it is the president, governor, mayor, a law enforcement officer, or magistrate, no public official who voluntarily swears to support and defend the Constitution and to discharge all duties of their office should be exempt from upholding that oath; therefore, I will veto Senate Bill 2," said McCrory.

Earlier Thursday, the House gave final approval to the bill to let magistrates and some registers of deeds employees have the option to opt out of same-sex wedding ceremonies, but they would have to stop performing all marriage duties - for gay and heterosexual couples.

The Senate had already approved the bill, which came from Republicans after gay marriage was legalized in North Carolina last October.

"The clear intent of the supporters of this bill is to make it harder for same-sex couples to marry in North Carolina," Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake told Eyewitness News after the final vote.

Critics said the measure was merely discrimination in disguise for gay couples whose marriages have been found to be equal under the law compared to opposite-sex partners. Several people who opposed the bill likened it to efforts 50 years ago to prohibit interracial marriages.

"All eyes ... are on us today," Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, warned colleagues, adding that the bill was the "newest abandonment of equal justice under the law."

The debate devolved into a passionate discussion about religious beliefs, with some Republican supporters of the measure saying they were following biblical principles that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Kudos to McCrory for having the backbone to say no to the Christofascists and the political whores in his own party.  As for the morons who cited "biblical law" I have a news bulletin: THERE IS NO ESTABLISHED RELIGION IN AMERICA AND THE BBLE HAS NO PLACE IN THE CIVIL LAWS.  End of discussion.

Cuccinelli Bars Media from Northern Virginia Anti-Gay Hatefest

It's pretty telling when an elected official bars the media from supposedly open events.  Could it be because they plan on saying hate filled things that play well with extremists that they want to hide from the larger public?  That seems to be the case of Virginia Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli who appeared and spoke at what was advertised as a "Virginia Defense of Marriage Summit."  One can be sure that some of Virginia's best known knuckle dragging hate merchants were in attendance.  Obviously, if you are afraid to have the media hear what you are saying or see with whom you are surrounding yourself , perhaps you should not be in attendance in the first place.  Especially if you are the top legal official for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  One can only assume that Kookinelli planned on saying things akin to Mitt Romney during his comments on the 47% while gathered with a group of millionaire cronies/donors.   The Washington Blade reports on this disturbing circumstance.  Here are highlights:

A local church on Friday denied a Washington Blade staff writer access to an anti-gay marriage gathering at which Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli spoke.

A woman who was standing near the entrance of Reconciliation Community Church in Manassas in front of two men wearing dark suits who appeared to be security personnel asked this reporter for identification and proof of media affiliation after he identified himself as a Blade staff writer. He proceeded to show her his drivers’ license and business card. . . . . She then pointedly told him to turn his car around in an adjacent driveway and leave the church’s property.

Pastor John Peyton of the Reconciliation Community Church acknowledged he was asked to host the gathering at which Cuccinelli spoke — the attorney general said on his Twitter account earlier on Friday he was “looking forward to speaking at the Virginia Defense of Marriage Summit tonight!” Peyton told the Blade in an e-mail he “did not bargain for any protesters to come.”

In addition to Cuccinelli; Jackson, Bishop Eugene Reeves of New Life Ministries in Woodbridge, Va., and Phillip Goudeaux of the Calvary Christian Center in Sacramento, Calif., were among those scheduled to speak at Reconciliation Community Church. The Manassas event took place less than a week after Goudeaux described gay men as “predators” who seek to indoctrinate children during an anti-gay marriage gathering at a Baltimore church that Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Maryland Marriage Alliance Chair Derek McCoy, Jackson, Reeves and roughly 100 others attended.

Shelley Abrams, co-founder of Cooch Watch, told the Blade roughly a dozen members of her group who traveled to Manassas to protest Cuccinelli were also denied access to the church. One Cooch Watch member who arrived at Reconciliation Community Church around 4:45 p.m. told Abrams a woman said “there’s no rally here.”  .  .  .  .  Abrams further stressed churches typically allow Cooch Watch members to attend forums, meetings and other events they host.

“To be denied entry into what’s considered God’s house is appalling,” she said. “Not only that, this is a public official. We are Virginians and we want to hear what he has to say about same-sex marriage. And we were not given that opportunity. There is fear among the ultra-right wing of being exposed and they know that Cooch Watch is here to expose them.”

Equality Virginia spokesperson Kevin Clay also criticized the church’s decision to deny access to the gathering.   . . . . .  Behind closed doors, we suspect he rehashed the same overreaching rhetoric. At Equality Virginia, we expect our elected officials to represent all of the commonwealth’s citizens.”

As I have note before, I've received unconfirmed reports that Kookinelli - like so many virulently anti-gay zealots - may have played/play for our team.  If anyone can confirm this with convincing evidence, nothing would give me more joy than to expose this nasty extremist as a hypocrite.