Kentucky Senate passes bill forcing gay couples to use separate marriage documents
Kentucky’s state Senate has passed a bill that is to create separate marriage license forms for gay and straight couples, in a move designed preserve the status of “traditional” of marriage.
Introduced on Thursday (February 18) in response to the Kim Davis controversy, the bill will also remove the names of country clerks from marriage licenses, writes Gay Star News.
Davis made headlines around the world last year as she served five nights in prison for refusing to issue a marriage license in her role as a clerk in Rowan County.
Former Democratic Govenor Steve Beshear changed the words “bride” and “groom” on marriage license forms to read “first party” and “second party” after the US Supreme court legalised same-sex marriage last June.
But Republican Senator John Schickel called the change “disrespectful to the traditional family” definition of marriage. “That’s why, wisely, we decided to have two forms,” he said.
“That has nothing to do with bigotry, nothing to do with discrimination. It has to do with the vast majority of Kentuckians that respect traditional marriage.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, which brought the case against Kim Davis said the change was setting a “dangerous slippery slope” precedent by catering to one specific religious belief and privileging that over others.
Executive director of the ACLU Michael Aldridge said separate forms for gay and lesbian couples from Kentucky would “constitute unequal treatment under the law”.
“Pure and simple, this bill is motivated by the desire to accommodate discrimination against same-sex couples.”
Republican Senator Stephen West, the sponsor of the bill said gay couples could choose to use the “bride” and “groom” form if they wished.
The bill now heads to the Democratic controlled House of Representatives.
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