With marriage license issue settled, the gay rights question reappears here

By SYLVIA HORLANDER
Special to The Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, 3 p.m. — Polarizing views on gay marriage continue in northeastern Kentucky and beyond.

KIM DAVIS

On Thursday, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis was ruled to be in contempt of a U.S. District Judge David Bunning’s order to issue marriage licenses after she decided her office would issue no more licenses due to her religious beliefs on gay marriage.

Though Davis was lodged in the Carter County Jail Thursday afternoon, her office staff agreed under oath to start issuing marriage licenses once again. Davis’ son, Nathan, works as a deputy clerk and said he will not issue gay marriage licenses.

When the Rowan County Clerk’s office opened Friday, William Smith Jr and James Yates, a Rowan County same-sex couple, were the first to obtain a marriage license.

Davis’ decision to stop issuing marriage licenses after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage in June has made national headlines. Davis, a registered Democrat, cited biblical believes for her reasoning under “God’s law.’

Davis has received death threats from those who know her and those who do not. Social media exploded with emotional messages in support of Davis. Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, said the federal judge’s decision to send Davis to jail for contempt made a martyr, and implied that Gov. Steve Beshear was biased in his decision to order Davis to issue marriage licenses or resign due to her Christian beliefs.

Chitwood compared Davis’ case with Attorney General Jack Conway’s decision to not go to court to defend the state’s definition of marriage, stating that Beshear exempted Conway and then hired private counsel to represent the state’s interests in the case. For more on Chitwood’s comments, click here.

Mike Yadon speaking to the Bardstown City Council at its work session Tuesday.

Locally, equal treatment under the law continues to spark debate.

At a Bardstown City Council working session Tuesday, Mike Yadon asked the council to consider revisiting a Human Rights Ordinance update that would add Fairness Ordinance language to extend protections to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The local Human Rights Commission brought the update to the council in March for its consideration; councilwoman Kecia Copeland was the only council member who favored approving the measure.

Yadon told the council Tuesday that Bardstown’s reputation could be damaged by failing to equally protect the LGBT community, and risk the loss of its status as “Bourbon Capital of the World” to a more progressive-minded community such as Louisville or Lexington. Click here for more about Yadon’s presentation to the council.

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