Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period Tue Mar 23, 9:31 PM ET Add U.S. National - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Teresa Carson
PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - In a new twist in the battle over same-sex marriage roiling the United States, a county in Oregon has banned all marriages -- gay and heterosexual -- until the state decides who can and who cannot wed.
AP Photo Slideshow: Same-Sex Marriage Issues
The last marriage licenses were handed out in Benton County at 4 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. EST) on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, officials in the county of 79,000 people will begin telling couples applying for licenses to go elsewhere until the gay marriage debate is settled.
'It may seem odd,' Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but 'we need to treat everyone in our county equally.'
State Attorney General Hardy Myers said in a statement that he was 'very pleased' with Benton County's decision. 'It is my sincere hope that legal process will provide clarity for each of Oregon's counties.'
The three County commissioners had originally decided to start handing out gay marriage licenses this week but on Monday reversed that decision amid a growing firestorm of lawsuits across the country, and decided instead to put a temporary halt to all marriages.
Rebekah Kassell, a spokeswoman for Basic Rights Oregon, a pro-gay marriage group, told Reuters; 'It is certainly a different way for county commissioners to respect their constitutional obligation to apply the law equally to everyone.
'We appreciate that they are willing to say they are not going to participate in discrimination.'
'PERPLEXED' BY DECISION
Tim Nashif, the spokesman for the Defense of Marriage Coalition, said; 'Oregon not only has the only county in the nation issuing illegal (same-sex) marriage licenses, we probably have the only county in the nation refusing to issue marriage licenses at all.'
'We are happy Benton County is not going to violate the law by issuing illegal marriage licenses, but we are perplexed as to why they would not issue legal licenses,' he added.
Benton County, whose county seat is Corvallis, is home to Oregon State University and is seen as a bastion of liberalism.
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) said it would file a lawsuit on Wednesday against Oregon or an unnamed state entity over the state's failure to register the more than 2,550 marriage licenses issued by Portland's Multnomah County to gay couples since March 3.
Multnomah County, the state's most populous, is the only jurisdiction in the United States that continues to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Local governments from San Francisco to New Paltz, New York, have halted the practice amid lawsuits and protests.
In New Mexico, a judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order to stop a Sandoval County clerk from issuing more marriage certificates to gay and lesbian couples.
Victoria Dunlap, the clerk for the county to the southwest of Santa Fe, issued 66 marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples on Feb. 20th before the state's attorney general issued a statement declaring the marriages invalid.
The temporary injunction will be in effect until a state district judge can hear the case on the subject. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 2nd. (Additional reporting by Zelie Pollon in Santa Fe, New Mexico)
NYCHICK
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by MCDO15
Posted by NYCHICK
I am stunned that this is even being allowed actually.........to 'take away' someone's right to be married to make a point about equality is a little harsh no, why punish people for judicial hang ups..........
it's not pusnishment directly upon staright couples but they are being fair and not honaring any type of marriages.
i like it and glad instead of just going out and letting ppl get married, they reversed it. we see who sue's who and who gets fired.
I am sure the couples who had a big wedding planned and now cannot have it come into fruition views this as punishment.......they are trying to make a point at other people's expense. Heterosexual couples have always been allowed to marry......why stop them now?
Jordan
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by NYCHICK
Heterosexual couples have always been allowed to marry......why stop them now?
Maybe to drive the point home that it is not fair that another group of people CAN'T get married. Because, as they said, they want to treat everyone in their county with equality.
MCDO15
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
maybe it shouldlnt of been that way then (hetrosexual been doing it for years)
i duh know... i see your point but i don't think it should be viewed like that. prehaps its a way to avoid the situation all together? prehaps this will be more presurre for people (gov't) to make there stand.
if there isn't marrige, they should be a civil union or something to give them = rights. just my thoughts. im not that old (and enough to konw about) but i'm sure there might of been issues at first when different races of people were getting married. i know i get looks and vibes from ppl 'huh, why are they together' etc.... i pay them no mind cause it's just normal but it's sad that type of difference is accepted to be normal
NYCHICK
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by Jordan
Posted by NYCHICK
Heterosexual couples have always been allowed to marry......why stop them now?
Maybe to drive the point home that it is not fair that another group of people CAN'T get married. Because, as they said, they want to treat everyone in their county with equality.
I am fully aware of the point(one that needs to be made) but this is not the way to do it.....this will only serve to inflame the issue in a negative way. I sure as hell wouldn't want my wedding held up on a state trying to make a stand for equality(NOW!!!).....i would be livid, and I bet all of us with upcoming weddings would feel the same way.
peeweesgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by Jordan
Posted by NYCHICK
Heterosexual couples have always been allowed to marry......why stop them now?
Maybe to drive the point home that it is not fair that another group of people CAN'T get married. Because, as they said, they want to treat everyone in their county with equality.
It is not a matter of equality Rught now it is against the law so, that is why it can't be done how dare you take something that isn't against the law and now make it a crime as an example, maybe put more effort in finding other ways to have Gay marriages recognized but this is just silly and useless it will be overturned anyway .
eroxgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by peeweesgirl
It is not a matter of equality Rught now it is against the law so, that is why it can't be done how dare you take something that isn't against the law and now make it a crime as an example, maybe put more effort in finding other ways to have Gay marriages recognized but this is just silly and useless it will be overturned anyway .
They outlaw all sorts of things that were once legal, e.g.: prohibition, slavery, limiting the amount you can drink while you drive...the list goes on and on...
peeweesgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by eroxgirl
Posted by peeweesgirl
It is not a matter of equality Rught now it is against the law so, that is why it can't be done how dare you take something that isn't against the law and now make it a crime as an example, maybe put more effort in finding other ways to have Gay marriages recognized but this is just silly and useless it will be overturned anyway .
They outlaw all sorts of things that were once legal, e.g.: prohibition, slavery, limiting the amount you can drink while you drive...the list goes on and on...
I understand that much but the examples you have mentioned actually hurt and kill people so I don't find that a valid argument. This is a blatant punishment and it doesn't prove anyting other then cause a bigger uproar, fight the power the right way don't cause riots , I know I would be in a RIOT it was not a well thought out plan think of the money to be lossed (for the vendors and the people) and the lawsuits the list can go on.
Jordan
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by peeweesgirl
I understand that much but the examples you have mentioned actually hurt and kill people so I don't find that a valid argument.
You're not understanding her examples. Prohibition (was legal) was the outlaw of liquor distribution...then prohibition was outlawed. Slavery was once legal, now it's outlawed. You used to be able to drink and drive, now you can't.
Heterosexuals used to be allowed to get married in Oregon county, now they can't. For the time being.
peeweesgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by Jordan
Posted by peeweesgirl
I understand that much but the examples you have mentioned actually hurt and kill people so I don't find that a valid argument.
You're not understanding her examples. Prohibition (was legal) was the outlaw of liquor distribution...then prohibition was outlawed. Slavery was once legal, now it's outlawed. You used to be able to drink and drive, now you can't.
Heterosexuals used to be allowed to get married in Oregon county, now they can't. For the time being.
No I do understand but the reason for them outllawing the othe examples is that it lead to serious issues and deats for that matter HOW is this a comparison?
NYCHICK
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by peeweesgirl
No I do understand but the reason for them outllawing the othe examples is that it lead to serious issues and deats for that matter HOW is this a comparison?
I agree, I cannot see the parallel between the two. There is no rational argument for this.....gays can't marry so lets not have anyone marry.. that has to be one of the worst policies I have seen.......this is a perfect example of 2 wrongs not making a right.
eroxgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
You said how dare they outlaw something that was legal...I was just showing that they outlaw things that were previously legal all the time. It's not permanent - and they didn't outlaw it for the country, they outlawed it for a county. Just go to the next county over and get your marriage license. Inconvenient, sure but it's not going to ruin anyone's life. Just maybe their day. JMHO.
peeweesgirl
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Re: Oregon County Bans All Marriages - Period
Posted by eroxgirl
You said how dare they outlaw something that was legal...I was just showing that they outlaw things that were previously legal all the time. It's not permanent - and they didn't outlaw it for the country, they outlawed it for a county. Just go to the next county over and get your marriage license. Inconvenient, sure but it's not going to ruin anyone's life. Just maybe their day. JMHO.
Ok I see what you are saying but to outlaw something legal whether temporary or not for an example to me is just plain ridiculous, IMO and I don't mean to sound ignorant but do you really beleive this wil prove anything or change anything No, so again I think it was not a very well thought out pln.
the 9th circuit court (all the western states) tend to rule a bit more liberal that then rest of the US....so they are more than anything making a point...
but people in that county can still get married in that county....they just have to get the license in another county...i.e I was married in Suffolk, but got the license in Nassau...while living in NYC...
and technically the defense of marriage act didn't outlaw same sex marriages...but only said that other states and the federal gov't didn't have to recognize it if another state did allow it...
