Tag: same-sex marriage

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Alabama: Same-Sex Marriage Licenses Issued In Mobile

Judge Granade’s order instructing Mobile Probate Judge Don Davis to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples went into effect immediately this afternoon – and then, the happy part began.

See below tweets from TheVanuguardUSA, the twitter account for the University of South Alabama’s Student Newspaper:

Third to get married were marriage lawsuit plaintiffs James Strawser and John Humphrey:

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Alabama: U.S. District Judge Orders Mobile Probate Judge To Issue Marriage Licenses

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

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Alabama: US District Judge Granade Hears Marriage Plaintiffs Motion On Mobile Probate Judge

Judge Callie Granade heard motions from the marriage plaintiffs in Alabama asking to amend their lawsuit to include Mobile Probate Judge Don Davis (and many others) to the existing lawsuit in order to allow Granade to order Davis to comply with her ruling on same-sex marriage.

Ruling could be forthcoming at any time.

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Editorial Cartoon Of The Day: Roy Moore Of Alabama

After the Mississippi KKK endorsed Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore’s stance on same-sex marriage, AL.com’s JD Crowe came up with this editorial cartoon.

JD Crowe is the statewide cartoonist for the Alabama Media Group. Crowe has been following Moore’s exploits in Alabama and the media for a long time.

You can find more of his “Moore” here.

(h/t JMG)

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CNN’s Chris Cuomo Versus Alabama Justice Roy Moore On Same-Sex Marriage

CNN’s Chris Cuomo interviewed a cantankerous Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore this morning regarding his current stance blocking same-sex marriage in Alabama.

The segment, 25 minutes long, is worth the watch. It’s not often you see a reporter actually ask substantive follow-up questions this in depth. Cuomo does not give Moore a pass here.

I should note: Chris Cuomo is a licensed attorney. He is not simply a reporter having an “opinion” on law here.

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Alabama’s Judge Roy Moore Claims He Has Gay Friends

With “friends” like this, who needs enemies?

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore appearing on Bloomberg Politics:

“I’ve had many friends who are homosexual. I’ve treated people just like other people. This is not about how I treat people or how I go to a wedding or a marriage or anything. It’s about the constitution of Alabama and the constitution of the United States and specifically the sanctity of marriage amendment. I would not go to a same-sex wedding.”

Just saying.

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Alabama Marriage Equality – Status Update 2.11.15

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President Obama Looks To SCOTUS To End “Patchwork” Marriage Laws

Via Buzzfeed: President Obama Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s signals that marriage equality is on the verge of becoming the law of the land, adding that he expected local Alabama officials resisting the shift to be swept aside by federal courts.

The Supreme Court Monday morning refused to put on hold a federal court ruling striking down Alabama’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages while the ruling is appealed, with Justice Clarence Thomas making clear in a dissent that the court’s action would be seen as a sign the court will soon rule that the Constitution requires equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

“My sense is that the Supreme Court is about to make a shift, one that I welcome, which is to recognize that — having hit a critical mass of states that have recognized same-sex marriage — it doesn’t make sense for us to now have this patchwork system,” Obama said in an interview with BuzzFeed News. “It’s time to recognize that under the equal protection clause of the United States [Constitution], same-sex couples should have the same rights as anybody else.”

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Post by BuzzFeed News.

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Ku Klux Klan Supports Judge Roy Moore’s Stand Against Marriage Equality

From the website of the United Dixie White Knights:

The Mississippi Klan salutes Alabama’s chief justice Roy Moore, for refusing to bow to the yoke of Federal tyranny. The Feds have no authority over individual States marriage laws. The fudgepackers from Hollywood and all major news networks are in shock that the good people from the heart of Dixie are resisting their Imperialist, Communist Homosexual agenda!

Alabama has a Constitutional amendment, that clearly says marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. But much as they have since the 2nd war for independence was lost in 1865, the Federal Government by way of it’s foreign masters seems set to push this abomination, on the God fearing people of Alabama. Will they send Jack Booted thugs to enforce it? Remains to be seen, but a simple study of history will show they once burned, destroyed and looted the state of Alabama. Georgia was burned almost to the ground, and in our state, Meridian Mississippi was destroyed by blue bellied sledgehammers in one day.

We call upon all Klansman and White Southern Nationalist to help in the massive protest’s coming, Not by wearing your colors, but by joining in with the Christian community’s protests that are surly coming against tyranical Federal judges. We have made the decision that we don’t want to distract attention away from the issue, as anytime the Klan rides, we are made the issue by the zionist controlled media. Members are encouraged to lend a hand, make signs, recruit etc., but leave any insignia, colors, shirts etc at the house. We want to infiltrate these protests and make sure they are kept running in military fashion and not bullied by the outside agitators.

Let today be the day, that the outside forces that have ruled this nation since the end of the War of Northern Aggression be given notice, “The God fearing White man will no longer stand for your immorality, your Illegal unjust judges and laws. Your attempts to turn us into a third world cesspool must be defeated. Unlike the 1950’s and 60’s we see you clearly for the enemy you are. Until we drive the spear of God and truth through your lying cold black hearts, the Klan will leave the light on for you.

Judge Moore must be thrilled! An endorsement to be proud of!

It’s getting more and more difficult to determine the difference between satire and real life.

(h/t JMG)

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Alabama Marriage Plaintiffs Get Thursday Hearing For Mobile County Judge

As reported last night, the plaintiffs in the Alabama marriage equality lawsuit have requested – and now received – a hearing with Judge Callie Granade to consider adding Probate Judge Don Davis to the lawsuit as a defendant. This would give Granade jurisdiction to order Davis via temporary injunction to comply with her ruling and issue the plaintiffs marriage licenses as requested.

See the brief here.

Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Moments ago, United States District Judge Callie V. S. Granade granted the request of four Mobile County same-sex couples to add Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis as a defendant in a lawsuit in which Judge Granade previously struck down Alabama’s marriage equality ban as violating the federal Constitution. Judge Granade scheduled a hearing for this Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 1:00 PM CT in the U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 2B, 113 St. Joseph Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602.

Late Monday, four same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in Mobile earlier in the day filed an emergency motion asking Judge Granade to instruct Davis to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as Judge Granade previously ordered.

The Alabama couples are James Strawser and John Humphrey, who previously obtained a ruling from Judge Granade declaring that Alabama’s exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional, Meredith Miller and Anna Lisa Carmichael, Robert Povilat and Milton Persinger, and Kristy Simmons and Marshay Safford. The couples are represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Birmingham attorney Heather Fann, and the ACLU of Alabama.