Same-sex marriage became legal throughout the United States in 2015 thanks to Obergefell vs Hodges. However, that doesn’t mean the right to marry is safe from attack. I married my husband in 2019 and, especially during the Trump era, I’ve felt like my marriage license could be metaphorically cut in half at some point. Luckily, President Biden signed same-sex marriage into federal law in 2022 as a response to the overturn of Roe vs Wade in some states.
But one must remember federal law vs state law are often two completely different entities.
On Wednesday, February 21, Tennessee lawmakers voted in favor of HB 878 – a law that makes it legal for officials in Tennessee to refuse to perform same-sex marriages based on their beliefs. Whether these beliefs fall under personal, political and religious were not specified… because the law itself is said to be only half a page long. According to NBC News, the biggest take away from the document was the words: “[officials] shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.”
Solemnize, according to Google, means to “duly perform a marriage.” Just clarifying because I first read it as Sodomize and was about to flip a table.
Before even more panicking, NBC News also provided a quote from Mary Bonauto – a civil rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders. In this quote, she clarifies what the terms and conditions really mean. She says:
It’s only about performing a marriage and there are a whole variety of individuals who can perform marriages and also potentially some private entities.
In other words, gay marriage is still legal in Tennessee. It’s just that you may have to shop around for someone to officiate your special day. I feel, however, that this is the start of a slippery slope. At what point will the state try to launch a full-on assault on gay marriage? This is a stark reminder of why we still fight, why we still march.
Keep your head up, Tennessee gays.
Source: NBC News
Thank you for this informative article. As I too read it wrong. I hope it’s not the start of a slippery slope against gay marriage, ugh.