Tag: Alabama

Latest count in Alabama shows:

• 51 counties now issuing same-sex marriage licenses

• 7 counties issuing marriage licenses to opposite sex couples only

• 9 counties not issuing marriage licenses at all

• 86% of Alabama’s population now has access to same-sex marriage licenses

Lauderdale and Franklin counties, as well as most all North Alabama counties, join in the marriage equality parade today after Judge Granade made clarified her order – AGAIN – that the state’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.

According to reports, more than a dozen additional counties have begun issuing licenses to same-sex couples today.

From Quad-Cites Daily:

Yielding to mounting pressure from Federal Authorities, North Alabama Probate Judges this morning began issuing marriage licenses without condition to the applicants’ sexual preferences.

The Quad-Cities Daily called Probate offices all across the area and found that pretty much anywhere a couple goes, if everything else is in order, their sexual preference of a spouse will not affect the couple’s ability to get a license.

Update from Equality Alabama:

As marriage equality continues to spread across Alabama, one protester found his way to a Birmingham City Council meeting to express his displeasure at the recent development in equality.

Cedric Hatcher, an outspoken street evangelist and regular at Birmingham City Hall, took to the lectern during the public comment portion of today’s meeting to express his disapproval of the marriages that took place just across Linn Park and around the state Monday.

“To me yesterday was one of the most bizarre scenes I’ve ever seen in the city,” Hatcher said. “It was one of the most comedic scenes I’ve ever seen in public when I witnessed men with size 13 and 14 shoes out there kissing each other in the mouth in front of little kids. It was like a freak scene going on, that’s what I call it.”

But most importantly, the good Reverend couldn’t find any batteries for his radio. And why? The gay.

“What happened? They said, Rev, they bought all the batteries there tonight. They celebrated in some kinda way. Just bought all the batteries. I don’t know what they do with the batteries, but I’m a preacher, I’m not gonna go there.”

Hatcher also threw in the usual cries of future nuptials with pets like snakes and cats.

I will take offense to that, though. It’s ridiculous to say I would ever marry a cat.

I don’t even have a cat.

(h/t JMG)

U.S. District Judge Callie Granade has ordered Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

From Huffington Post:

A federal judge ordered county officials in Alabama to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples Thursday, saying they can no longer ignore her earlier ruling that struck down the state’s marriage equality ban.

Six gay couples had requested Thursday’s hearing so that Granade could clear up some of the confusion in the state and determine whether probate judges who fail to comply would face any sort of penalty.

Their defiance is due to directions from Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R), who sent an order to the state’s probate judges Sunday night not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He argued that they were not bound to follow the federal ruling.

Just a couple of hours after the hearing, Granade issued a written order stating that probate judges in Alabama may not deny marriage licenses “on the ground that Plaintiffs constitute same-sex couples or because it is prohibited by the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment and the Alabama Marriage Protection Act or by any other Alabama law or Order pertaining to same-sex marriage.” In other words, the federal decision trumps the state laws.

Read the order below:

1:14-cv-00424 #55 – Order