If you’re planning a wedding, you might want to check the invite list and make sure Mat Staver and Horatio Mihet aren’t on it. They’re two of the bigwigs at Liberty Counsel, an Orlando law firm that’s doing everything in its power to mess up the wedding plans of the state’s queer grooms and brides.
Let’s be absolutely clear: marriage is starting on Tuesday in Florida. But Liberty Counsel and its unpleasant cronies are telling anyone who will listen that marriage is still banned, and anyone who lets gay and lesbian couples get married is breaking the law. Fortunately, very few people are listening.
Last week, Liberty Counsel sued a few officials who expressed a willingness to issue licences to LGBTs. One of those cases has already been thrown out of court, and the others will be following in short order. But in the mean time, the group’s making itself a real pain in the neck by promising to file more lawsuits against more officials. Essentially, they’re trying to intimidate clerks into refusing to issue licenses by threatening them with weak lawsuits.
And they’re not the only ones raining on your wedding day. Over a dozen clerks have ended courthouse weddings, essentially telling gay and lesbian couples “we don’t care if you get married, we just don’t want to have to look at it, because you’re so gross, yuck.” This is somewhat different from the proper sentiment to offer on the occasion of someone’s wedding, which is “congratulations.”
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So, what’s next? A bunch of boring legal stuff that’ll take a few weeks, maybe a few months. At some point another court will rule on marriage — or maybe several. This is uncharted territory, and it’s impossible to predict exactly how it’ll go. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to the Supreme Court, but until further notice, Florida, go ahead and get married. Liberty Counsel may be trying to ruin your day, but you can ruin theirs simply by living well.
Milk
Where is that blow up barbie in this?
mcflyer54
If I was planning on getting a marriage license in Florida tomorrow I’d choose to do so in one of the 12 counties were the clerks have discontinued conducting all marriages to avoid marrying gay couples. Along with my partner (of 37 years) I would take a very dear friend, who under state law, can perform and legally officiate marriage ceremonies. I would then call the local media and advise them of my intention to be married at the county court house (although not by the individual paid with my tax dollars to do so) and ask that they publically invite any other couples (gay or straight) who wanted to be married at the same time to attend as my straight friend would be more than happy to officiate (at no charge) as he believes that everyone should have the equal right to marry.
bjohnmasters
@Milk: I presume you’re referring to twice divorced and now illegally (under Florida law) cohabiting with a man (i.e. living in sin) Pam Bondi?
She is in hiding, and glad to be out of the limelight. She’s got her eye on higher political office. She doesn’t give a shit about anything that’s not about her, so she doesn’t really care we’re getting married, but she had to put up the fight to keep her street cred with the teabaggers. Once the Judge Hinkle clarified his ruling, she pretty much said, “did all I could, activist judges…blah, blah, all I ever wanted to clarification and consistency.” That last part being her trying to shake the etch-a-sketch (seem Romney primary campaign), so she can later pretend she wasn’t being a bigot.
She’s glad it’s over because she’d come to realize it was no longer helping her future plans.
Desert Boy
I have friends in Fort Lauderdale and Vero Beach. I hope they will be able to marry soon without any nonsense from bigoted heterosexuals.
hyhybt
So: if you’re a Florida clerk, you’re going to get sued no matter what you do. The choice is between being sued by the couples you refuse to marry and losing, or by these nuts and winning.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
These two pictured flocking smcubags and the rest of their abhorrent, noxious, bigoted ilk are like the Japanese soldiers who hid in the Jungles for decades after World War II….
Their cause is hopelessly lost yet they refuse to acknowledge defeat…….
mikeincleveland
“Although there is no authoritative list of the Florida counties that have stopped offering courthouse weddings, the counties that confirmed their decisions to the Tampa Bay Times and other news outlets include: Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Franklin, Wakulla, Baker, Clay, Duval and Pasco.”
http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/in-north-florida-a-views-collide-over-gay-weddings-as-many-clerks-opt-out/2212297
What the proposed lawsuits should be about is whether one’s interpretation of their religious views should prevent them from performing public duties in which they are elected by the public to do, regardless of their religious beliefs.
The whole idea of discontinuing all marriage ceremonies for budget cuts, et al, is all bullshit and everyone knows it.
We need a pro-LGBT/civil liberties law firm to pick this one up pro bono and go for it.
Milk
@bjohnmasters: Oh I’m sure she is not done with the gay issues. Politicians like her is not skill full enough to handle the real issues of operating a state or a country. Just like those banana republics of certain middle east, africa and russia, they rely on gay issues to distract their citizens from discussing anything but.
lykeitiz
https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCounsel
And here is their Facebook page.
PS – They lost. I’m on my way tonight to get married…….in Florida.
hyhybt
@lykeitiz: Congratulations! (Or best wishes, if you prefer.)
Billysees
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS:
“These two pictured….are like the Japanese soldiers who hid in the Jungles for decades after World War II….
Their cause is hopelessly lost yet they refuse to acknowledge defeat…….”
Good comment. I do wonder what part ‘money’ and ‘their following’ plays in encouraging them to continue.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Billysees:
Tks for nice comment about my comment!
Money plays a HUGE part of this hatefest. I just made another comment on another thread and mentioned that the haters are in a panic because as their donors realize they are recieving no payback from their donations they are closing their pocketbooks…………