Loading...
|| News ||
Page 1 of 1

California Clerk to Refuse All Marriages

A California county clerk says she'll stop performing all marriage ceremonies shortly before a state supreme court order legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.


A California county clerk says she'll stop performing all marriage ceremonies shortly before a state supreme court order legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.

A newspaper says the move came after the clerk received advice from Kern County lawyers who said marriages cannot be performed in a discriminatory fashion.

TheBakersfield Californian says clerk Ann Barnett said Wednesday she would not have the staff or space to deal with an increase in licenses and ceremonies. She plans to stop all ceremonies starting June 13 -- three days before gay couples may legally wed.

The newspaper reports she asked county counsel to file a brief with the California supreme court opposing implementation of its May 15 ruling allowing gay marriage. (AP)

Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter. Page 1 of 1
Reader Comments
  • Name: Alex
    Date posted: 6/12/2008 12:18:00 AM
    Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ

    Comment:

    I agree with Lou of North Hollywood. If Ms. Barnett is an elected official, she should step down and allow a competent official of Kern County take her place. If she is a county employee, she should be fired for refusing to perform the duties she was hired to do. This is what so called "christians", for which she will be a poster child, are all about. Love thy neighbor, unless they are LGBT. Indeed!

  • Name: Walter Achtert
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 10:22:00 PM
    Hometown: Bangor, Butte County, CA

    Comment:

    The clerk of Butte County has also announced that her office will no longer conduct any marriages. She did say that this was planned long before the original court decision. She also said that she would appoint as a Deputy Clerk for Civil Marriages (or something like that: I got this from a TV interview) anyone who requested to be appointed. I personally do not think her action had anything to do with same-sex marriages becoming legal.

  • Name: Gary Mitchener
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 8:08:00 PM
    Hometown: Cleveland Heights, Ohio

    Comment:

    In a weird way, I've chosen a path similar to Ms.Barnett but for opposite reasons: as a pastor of a church, I've stopped officiating at all weddings until such time as ALL God's children can be married in the church without discrimination.

  • Name: Doug Johnson
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 6:23:00 PM
    Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

    Comment:

    I believe the only way she gets away with this is because there are other homophobes and bigots, such as she, who have the authority to back her up and do so. Hold back all their paychecks until they comply. Oh, I wish it were so easy!

  • Name: Red Seven
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 5:04:00 PM
    Hometown: Washington, DC

    Comment:

    Personally, I think this is great. I'll take her at her word that she assumes that the number of weddings she's asked to perform will SPIKE as soon as same-sex marriage is legalized. Makes a certain amount of sense, given that you don't get married every year and there are likely thousands of gay/lesbian couples in the county who've been together for 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, even 60 years or more who will want to tie the knot before the November ballot initiative. So ... what happens? The straight people of Kern County get to feel a little bit of what it feels like to have marriage denied to them as well. If the LGBT community there spins this correctly, we might actually be able to win over some hearts and minds. Homophobes won't be swayed, but some well-meaning straight folks who just "never thought about it before" might be enlightened as a result of this.

  • Name: Lou
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 4:47:00 PM
    Hometown: North Hollywood

    Comment:

    If this woman is an elected offcial, then the voters will have to replace her. Otherwise, a legal suit will have to be filed forcing her to perform her job. The article does not explain if she is one of others who refuses to do this or if she is the one who performs weddings. If so, then she needs to be replaced because she cannot arbitrarily decide which parts of her job she will perform or not.

  • Name: Jeff Duteil
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 4:39:00 PM
    Hometown: Glendale, AZ

    Comment:

    Someone needs to fire the bitch.

  • Name: David Akridge
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 4:12:00 PM
    Hometown: Washington DC

    Comment:

    The sad thing is that this woman will become the poster child for the religious right. I'm sure somewhere she will be thought of as a "hero" for family values. And if she's fired, she'll be a "martyr".

  • Name: Denise Odom
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 4:05:00 PM
    Hometown: Benton , Louisiana

    Comment:

    Ms. Barnett is being very nieve if she believes she can stop people in love from getting married. It is time for all the close minded people of the world to either step aside and let the rest of us have the civil rights we are entitled to as human beings or get with the program and celebrate the greatness of both our sameness and diversity that makes man and woman kind so wonderful. Shame on you Ms. Barnett....God is watching you.. Denise Odom

  • Name: Cindy
    Date posted: 6/11/2008 1:57:00 PM
    Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga

    Comment:

    I guess we the taxpayers that pay her wages have no say as to wheather she can do this. I say that she should be fired without any serverence or unemployment benefits. Since she is being insubordinate the county has just cause to get rid of her.



More Online Only
  • Film Video Content Flag Awards Shows Gone Gay

    From Rob Lowe singing with Snow White to Madonna and Britney swapping spit, Adam Lambert's racy AMA performance reminded us of some of the great gay moments in awards-show history.

  • DVDs Hot Sheet: Rihanna, New Moon

    Whether you spend your time jamming to Rihanna's Chris Brown kiss-off "Russian Roulette," in theaters with those lusty male vampires- or curled up on the couch with Scarlett O'Hara, it's a packed week in entertainment.

  • Art The Kids Are All Right

    Photographer Jeffrey Kilmer has dedicated the last seven years to capturing the awkwardness, rebellion, and personal style of young men across the country and around the world. His book, 23% PURE, is a collection of hot guys, far and wide.

  • Film Teen Spirit

    While Native American cultures have long honored people of integrated genders, a new documentary looks at a shocking hate crime against a two-gendered Colorado teenager.

  • Politicians L.A. Confidential

    What's it like to be 33, gay, and one of the most powerful people in America's second-largest city? Stressful, says Matt Szabo, the new deputy chief of staff to Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

  • Commentary Love Bites for Twilight's Gay Fans

     

    Gay fanpires are sure to flock to New Moon, but with questions lingering about author Stephanie Meyer and the cash she gives to the Mormon Church, Mike Albo wonders if we'd be better off tying a clove of garlic around our necks.


  • Youth Church Opens Doors for Homeless Gay Teens

    A church-turned-shelter for homeless youth in Queens, New York is a far cry from sleeping on the streets after a $200,000 renovation and a partnership with the Ali Forney Center for LGBT youth.

  • Music France's Latest Export

    He's opened for Britney and Katy Perry, kept Dita Von Teese company in the front row at Paris Fashion Week, and gets name-checked on Twitter by Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Sarah Silverman. So who the hell is Sliimy, anyway?

  • Marriage Equality Triumph in the Tar Heel State

    The loss of marriage equality in Maine was a major blow on Election Night, but down the coast in North Carolina there was an LGBT victory. Pam Spaulding talks to Chapel Hill's mayor-elect, Mark Kleinschmidt.

  • Theater Video Content Flag Puppet Masters

    When performance-art drag diva Joey Arias combines forces with master puppeteer Basil Twist, anything — no, seriously, anything — can happen.

  • News Softball With Oprah and Palin

     

    Dave White recaps as Oprah plays nice with Palin in her exclusive, personality-rehabbing interview. Topics include Katie Couric ("badgering"), Levi Johnston ("Ricky Hollywood"), and step class ("gee, it's fun").

  • News View From Washington: Frank Tells

    This week Congressman Barney Frank laid out a plan and a timetable for repealing "don't ask, don't tell..." and a reminder that he's been saying it would happen in 2010 from the beginning.

Most Popular Stories