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

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.

  • Teon@kbin.social
    53·
    8 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.

    • rdyoung@lemmy.world
      131·
      8 months ago

      This is the only way anything like this changes. Hopefully some folks at city hall will do just this and turn it around on the doofuses.

      • samus12345@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        8 months ago

        Ordained Ministers of Satan can perform weddings…but they’re more about proving a point by allowing everyone to do something, rather than by restricting people. So they’d be good ones to go to to officiate marriages if refused elsewere.

      • ikanreed@mastodon.social
        0·
        8 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.worksEnglish
          1·
          8 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.

    • Venia Silente@lemm.eeEnglish
      6·
      8 months ago

      Only if good people can get into the public offices in the first place.

      No cookie for guessing what will the secret interview question to become a marriage officer will be in those States.

      • inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
        11·
        8 months ago

        TIL She had a meeting with the Pope).

        After receiving a surprise phone call from a church official, the Kentucky county clerk says she traveled to Washington, D.C., where she and her husband Joe met the pope Sept. 24 at the Vatican Embassy.

        “I put my hand out and he reached and he grabbed it, and I hugged him and he hugged me,” Davis said. “And he said, ‘thank you for your courage.’”

        Religious freedom only exists to enforce religion and deny other freedoms.

    • Wanderer@lemm.ee
      5·
      8 months ago

      Yes.

      Honestly I don’t see the problem. If someone wants a religious ceremony then they should agree to the rules of that religion. If they religion doesn’t want to do it that should be religious freedom.

      If they don’t want a religious ceremony then they can get a civil partnership or whatever which is legally the same without the religious marriage. Or go to another religion.

      Religion is stupid in my opinion and the more ridiculous it is allowed to be (excluding forcing children or people outside of the religion to do things) then I think fucking go for it, it will allow people to see the ridiculousness and turn people off.

    • InquisitiveApathy@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      8 months ago

      County clerks are an elected position in TN. If someone were to refuse to sanctify Christian unions then they would be out of a job the next election cycle or more likely removed from office.