June 10, 2023 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Alabama’s Supreme Court defies the United States Supreme Court on Gay Marriage….again

BY TROY MASTERS  |  Alabama’s notorious Supreme Court Chief Justice, Roy Moore, has crawled back from the grave of the same sex marriage debate and ordered the state’s probate judges to cease issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a late-game but defiant move against a Supreme Court of the United States’ ruling that legalized same-sex unions and enshrined it as a constitutional right.

Mobile County immediately stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether, a move clearly animated by antigay animus and which has become common practice in several Southeastern U.S. counties. Notices posted in Mobile said that the county was “not issuing marriage licenses to any applicants until further notice.”

Moore, a devoutly religious conservative Republican,  has been relentless in his attempts to prevent same-sex marriages in Alabama and has several times issued similar orders.  Prior to the June 2015 SCOTUS ruling a U.S. District Court had found the state’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court had declined state requests for a stay and ordered Alabama to issue licenses to same-sex couples.  Some probate courts began issuance but Moore ordered them to stop, maintaining his authority trumped federal court orders.  

He maintained this posture even after June’s definitive SCOTUS ruling declared that same-sex marriage is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment and requires states to issue licenses to people of the same sex and to recognize marriages performed in other states between two people of the same sex.

Moore now argues, in part, that probate judges should not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples until a case that is before his court on the matter has been resolved. He said this has prompted “confusion and uncertainty” among Alabama probate judges about how to apply the SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriages.

He describes Alabama as a state struggling with how to interpret the law: “Many probate judges are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in accordance with Obergefell; others are issuing marriage licenses only to couples of the opposite gender or have ceased issuing all marriage licenses. This disparity affects the administration of justice in this state.”

Albert Holloway Ingram and Keith.
Albert Holloway Ingram and Keith.

The order has provoked a range of reaction.  Some called for Judge Moore’s retirement while many just rolled their eyes.

“Moore is violating his oath to respect and comply with the law. This is Judicial Activism at it’s worst,” said Keith Ingram, Community Organizer for Equality Wiregrass, an LGBT advocacy group in Southeastern Alabama.  Equality Wiregrass and other organizations throughout the state have called for action.

Alabama’s Attorney General, Luther Strange, who opposes same-sex marriage, has acknowledged that without a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages the ruling by the United States Supreme Court’s decision stands.

 

Related Posts

Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion to Headline LA Pride in the Park

June 9, 2023

June 9, 2023

By Susan Payne  Global superstars and Grammy award-winning artists Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion will headline LA Pride’s 2023...

Celebrate Pride: Official LA Pride Events This June

June 9, 2023

June 9, 2023

By Susan Payne Los Angeles’ annual celebration of Pride Month is coming soon. Since 1970, the LA Pride Parade has...

WeHo Welcomes Pride Revelers to Celebrate Pride Month

June 9, 2023

June 9, 2023

By Susan Payne  Excitement is brewing for all things Pride in Los Angeles for the month of June and there...

LA Pride Announces Three Grand Marshals For The 2023 LA Pride Parade

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

Comedian Margaret Cho, Actor Leslie JordanThe ACLU Named As Grand Marshalls Christopher Street West Association (CSW), the esteemed 501(c)3 nonprofit...

The Dodgers Reinstate LGBTQ+ Group’s Invitation and Honor At Dodger Pride Night

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

The Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence Accepted The Baseball Team’s Apology By Dolores Quintana This morning, The Los Angeles Dodgers issued...

Disneyland Welcomes Official ‘Pride Nite’

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Part Of The Park’s Disneyland After Dark Series Of Events By Susan Payne Disneyland is holding its first official LGBTQ...

Latino Equality Alliances Awards $20,000 To College-Bound Students

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Eight Scholarships Went To Low-Income LGBTQ+ Scholars By Susan Payne Throughout the nation, LGBTQ+ and trans rights are being challenged...

Drag March Rally in Weho Amasses Thousands

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Inclusivity and Diversity Take Center Stage at Weho’s Drag March, Drawing Thousands to the Streets By Susan Payne Santa Monica...

Coalition of Faith Communities Stand Against Anti-Transgender Agenda

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne At an All Saints Church in Pasadena lrecently, a coalition of faith communities discussed concerns about a...

Ricky Martin presents 2023 GLAAD Vanguard Award to Bad Bunny

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne During the GLAAD Media Awards this spring, Bad Bunny was honored with the Vanguard Award presented by...

Timothy Dean Family Seeks Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Ed Buck

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne Judgment before trail is at request of the three sisters of Timothy Dean, who died in the...

Food, Music, and Philanthropy: Taste of Home Festival Hits Los Angeles on April 29th

April 13, 2023

April 13, 2023

Food festival planned for April 29 in Hollywood The Taste of Home Festival offers a unique experience that goes beyond...

Los Angeles LGBT Center Hosts Drag March in Protest of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

April 6, 2023

April 6, 2023

Over 1,000 Angelenos to rally for rights on Easter Sunday Los Angeles, April 04 – The Los Angeles LGBT Center...

WeHo ‘Rainbow Mile’ Runners Amass 20K in Marathon

April 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

By Susan Payne Nearly 20,000 runners gathered in West Hollywood for the 28th Annual Los Angeles Marathon, referred to as...

Outed MMA Fighter Jeff Molina Comes out as Bisexual

April 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

By Susan Payne UFC bantamweight Jeff Molina, known as “El Jefe,” in the octagon, was outed on social media and...