A county official in Pennsylvania’s third-largest county has said he will begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, despite the state’s current law defining marriage between a man and a woman.
Recorder of Wills D. Bruce Hanes told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he wants to “come down on the right side of history and the law” by issuing the order. The public stance comes after a lesbian couple requested a marriage licenses from him last week—something Hanes told the paper had simply never happened to him before.
The ACLU is currently challenging the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s marriage law in federal court. And much like California’s Prop. 8 lawsuit, PA state Attorney General Kathleen Kane said she would not defend the law, leaving it up to Gov. Tom Corbett's office to decide is they would like to handle the case. (In California's case, the governor's office also decided not to defend the law put forth by Prop. 8)
Hanes notes that the same-sex couple from last week has not returned for their marriage license yet, but says he will happily issue one to them or any other same-sex couple should they approach his office.
(Image Source)