The Tennessee House Just Passed a Bill Completely Gutting Marriage Equality

[Behind the Aegis]

The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a bill that would allow people to refuse to perform a marriage if they disagree with it.

According to the bill, which passed Monday night, “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage if the person has an objection to solemnizing the marriage based on the person’s conscience or religious beliefs.”

The bill, which now moves to the state Senate, is the latest in an onslaught of measures that the Tennessee legislature has passed attacking LGBTQ rights. This bill could also apply to couples where at least one partner is transgender, or to mixed race couples.

Tennessee law already says that religious leaders do not have to officiate weddings they object to. Critics say the new bill goes beyond that and would empower county clerks to refuse to certify marriage licenses, meaning that LGBTQ, interfaith, or interracial couples could be unable to get married at all, rather than just needing to find a new officiant for their ceremony.

more...

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. shame!

[dsc]

2. NC already has this law

County clerks don't have to issue a license to a gay couple if it conflicts with their beliefs. A couple of counties have to bring in people to issue the licenses.

[70sEraVet]

3. The feds are going to have to force the clerks to follow federal law, and send in federal agents

Just like we did 50 or 60 years ago, to force states to integrate their schools.
Back then, racists were using 'religious beliefs' to justify their racism!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. The "Respect for Marriage Act" still left it up to the states

National
What does the Respect for Marriage Act do? The answer will vary by state.

December 8, 2022 12:27 PM ET

Kaitlyn Radde

Today, the Respect for Marriage Act got one step closer to becoming one of very few federal laws expressly protecting LGBTQ Americans. It's expected to be signed into law by President Biden soon.

But even when it is signed, the legality of same-sex marriage will still rest on the the 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which found that same-sex marriage is constitutionally protected.

If the Court were to overturn Obergefell, the legality of same-sex marriages would revert to state law — and the majority of states would prohibit it. The Respect for Marriage Act wouldn't change that, but it requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and federally recognizes these marriages.

(snip)

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/08/1140808263/what-does-the-respect-for-marriage-act-do-the-answer-will-vary-by-state

I.e., if a gay couple were married in a particular state and have that state's marriage license, but then moves to a state with some kind of draconian "ban", that state law would not apply to them and their marriage must be recognized.

[dlk]

4. This is using religion as an excuse to disguise creeping fascism

Picking and choosing which laws to obey; it’s everywhere

[DFW]

5. Next step

Teachers in Tennessee will be able to say that their religious beliefs forbid them from working more than one day a week or for under $100,000 a year. That way, Tennessee will have both the most ignorant children AND the happiest teachers in the nation!

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

[Ligyron]

7. I want my state back, dam it!

I seem to be living in a constantly shrinking area of blue Enlightenment.

[The Wizard]

9. Still a Slave State(NT)

[slightlv]

10. I still say I want one of these clerks to stand up and say they refuse to allow

some two christianists to marry because it goes against their religious beliefs. What beliefs? That a woman has to be subservient to a man in a marriage, for example. There are many others where their extreme form of the religion differs from others, but no one ever makes an example of it. I wish to hell -someone- would give them a taste of their own medicine, even just once!

[relayerbob]

12. 100% agreed

[relayerbob]

11. Why would someone want to belong to a church or organization ....

that condemns them? Makes no sense. Mind you, I am opposed to this law, because of the likely abuse of it that will occur, but seriously, if someone objected to my marrying someone, I'd be out the door before they finished the sentence.

As far as the county clerks, etc., that's just outright wrong and unconstitutional. Their jobs are to be rubber stamps, period, and should have zero say in the matter. The damn GQPpers really hate government overreach, don't they? Oh, wait.

[roamer65]

13. Meanwhile, Michigan is enshrining LGBTQ rights in our state civil rights act.

The difference between states hasn’t been this stark since 1860.

[Samrob]

14. Well soon, couples will be able to pronounce themselves husband and wife or spouses and file

legal documents with a court in person. Who need clergy?

[Ohio Joe]

15. Repugs have a goal...

They want to criminalize anyone who is not white and straight.

[ZonkerHarris]

16. language can also be used to not perform an interfaith or interrace marriage.