La. Justice: Everybody Hates Me

By Julie Bolcer

Keith Bardwellx390 (Screen grab) | Advocate.com

The Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple says that he has no plans to step down, and that he does not understand why people think he is a racist.

“Everybody hates me. I don’t know why,” said Keith Bardwell in a video interview with the Associated Press. Watch it below.

Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish in southeastern Louisiana, refused to marry Beth Humphrey, who is white, and Terence McKay, who is black. He said he refuses to perform mixed-race marriages out of concern for their offspring.

Sen. Mary Landrieu and Gov. Bobby Jindal have called on Bardwell to resign.

Asked if he considers himself a racist, Bardwell said, “Absolutely not. My definition of a racist is to hate black people or to treat black people different than anybody else.”

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Reader Comments

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Name: ArtNOLA
Date posted: 10/20/2009 1:49:15 PM
Hometown: New Orleans

Comment:
I'm glad he has done this because it reopens the whole marriage equality debate. It reminds people that there was a time when interracial marriage was illegal and will hopefully make them realize that it is wrong to outlaw same sex marriage. I would love to see someone try to make interracial marriage illegal, just to spark the discrimination debate so that people can understand that even though we are gay, it still hurts and is still senseless discrimination. I have absolutely no problem with interracial marriage, I just want to see things stirred up so that we can start asking why one is fair and the other isn't and start pointing out the injustice. I am still amazed that the hispanics and blacks were the ones who really got Prop 8 passed but they are also the ones who have been discriminated against and would be crying discrimination if this was effecting them.
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Name: Seattle
Date posted: 10/19/2009 4:21:55 PM
Hometown: franz.wozzeck@gmail.com

Comment:
I like how Jindhal and Senator Landrieu are ceremoniously outraged. I grew up in LA and they knew this shit was going on. In any case with our pussies all around the country, no one is going to fire him for breaking the law. But I do have to ask, that interracial couple knew that he wouldn't marry them and they knew what the area was like so why did they even bother. In any case, the supreme court in the state or the US Supreme Court won't touch it because then they would be the bruta figura in light of their avoidance of the gay elephant in the country.
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Name: ALAN
Date posted: 10/19/2009 3:26:04 PM
Hometown: DUNNELLON,FL

Comment:
I think he is actually on the GLBT side of the marriage equality debate. He is trying to show how stupid it is to say that he is doing it for the children. This is one of the main reasons that the religious right say that marriage equality should not be allowed. I could be wrong but let us all hope that I am right. This would show how bigoted the religious right really are.
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Name: phil
Date posted: 10/19/2009 3:26:01 PM
Hometown: dallas

Comment:
i like how he only considers it racism if he treats black people differently...
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Name: Joe
Date posted: 10/19/2009 1:45:36 PM
Hometown: Arlington, VA

Comment:
I have to wonder if this isn't a plea for attention from this person. In today's day and age, how could you think you could get away with refusing to marry an interracial couple and NOT generate scandal and media attention? I think he did it on purpose.
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Name: Jessica K
Date posted: 10/19/2009 1:35:35 PM
Hometown: NJ

Comment:
Why does everyone hate you? Because your a typical southern racist that is so hateful that don't even realize your a gigantic bigot. How the hell is not letting a couple marry not hating black folks?
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Name: Scissor Sister
Date posted: 10/19/2009 11:15:27 AM
Hometown: Indy

Comment:
Closet case much?

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