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Tennessee GOP quietly overturns marriage equality by giving officials the right to refuse (www.advocate.com)

submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Public officials in Tennessee can now refuse to grant a marriage license to anyone at their own discretion, for any reason.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law House Bill 878 on Wednesday, which took effect immediately. The bill — just a few sentences in length — only states that "a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage." Only state notary publics, government officials, and religious figures can "solemnize" a marriage in Tennessee, according to state code.

None of the sponsors behind the bill have been made public statements on its introduction or passage, nor have they given comment to media organizations. The only known remarks regarding the law from state Rep. Monty Fritts (take a guess), who sponsored it in the House, are from February of last year, when he spoke to the state Subcommittee on Children and Family Affairs.

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[-] Teon@kbin.social 130 points 6 months ago

“As societal views change about what constitutes a marriage, officiants must be able to refuse to solemnize marriages that are contrary to their beliefs. The government has a responsibility to protect the exercise of religious beliefs," he said, via CNN. "Those with the authority to perform civil ceremonies would also be permitted to refuse to solemnize marriage for reasons of conscience.”

So if someone's religion did not believe "christianity" was a valid religion, they could refuse to give a license to a christian couple.
Be careful what power you give the people, they can use it against you.

[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 21 points 6 months ago

Satanic Temple, if you're reading this...

[-] ikanreed@mastodon.social 0 points 6 months ago

@prole @Teon

Unfortunately, one of the conservatives' strategies at play here is they only give "right of conscience" to people with political power over other people.

They aren't giving normal citizens the right to object to anything, they're giving unelected officers the right to torment those beneath them.

And unless you're willing to be as evil to innocent people as they are, you can't fight that war.

In the end what they're destroying here is the rule of law itself.

[-] prole@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 months ago

If I were in a government position in TN that gave out marriage licenses, I would stop giving them to straight couples... It's not evil, it's a protest to make a point.

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this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2024

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