Marriage equality became the law of the land in Alabama yesterday and it was amazing to see couples marrying in towns including Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery. But a majority of counties across the state are still refusing to issue licenses to same-sex couples. This morning, brave couples once again lined up in Mobile to seek licenses and were once again told that the marriage license office was closed for business.
The New York Times reported on this violation of federal law by Alabama probate judges:
“It was unclear how many of the judges were acting out of overt defiance and how many were simply weighing how to navigate a freshly jumbled legal landscape after Chief Justice Roy S. Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.”
In response, legal teams have filed motions to ensure that couples can marry across the state. Probate judges in every Alabama county should immediately begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s action on Monday. Alabama families can’t wait any longer for the freedom to marry and the legal protections they deserve. This is a simple matter of law, justice and dignity.
Marriage equality will prevail in Alabama. This is a critical moment in our push for equality in the South. What we’re seeing play out in Alabama right now speaks to a broader reality across the region. These tensions are exactly what LGBT people experience every single day in the South – the continued march toward federal legal equality, palpably growing support from our family and friends, and yet, still, the systematic denial of our dignity and humanity by state political leaders.
In the short-term, working alongside community leaders and partner groups, we won’t stop pushing until LGBT couples can marry in all 67 Alabama counties. For now, we’re asking you to do one thing. Please share this graphic via email or on Facebook to show your support for Alabama.
You can go directly to CSE’s Facebook page and share the graphic as well.
