Williamson County Officials Opting Out of Performing Marriage Ceremonies

As of Wednesday, July 1, there will be no more marriages performed by the Williamson County clerk’s office. While the office is still issuing licenses, an official ceremony must be sought elsewhere than the Williamson County Administrative Complex.

no marriage ceremonyAccording to the Williamson County Judicial Center, no judges are currently performing marriage ceremonies.

County Mayor Rogers Anderson will not be marrying anyone. “You can still be married in Williamson County, there are people that will marry you,” Anderson said. “I’ve just decided that I will no longer be marrying people in Williamson County. My religious convictions are stronger than continuing to marry so I’ll just not marry heterosexuals or homosexuals.”

Mayor of Franklin Ken Moore will no longer be performing marriage ceremonies. “The Supreme Court decision, a split decision 5 to 4, created questions in my mind since my religious beliefs are that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Moore said. “To not create any confusion, I will not be performing any more marriage ceremonies at all.”

Spring Hill’s Mayor Graham said he is only performing weddings for direct family members. We are currently reaching out to Regina Smithson, City of Brentwood Mayor.

The Williamson County Clerk could not be reached for comment.

Law requires that licenses be issued, but does not require officials to perform marriage ceremonies. The legal concerns are that charges of discrimination could be brought if officials choose to perform marriage ceremonies only for certain couples.

Tennessee state representatives Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) and Andy Holt (R-Dresden) are drafting legislation called the “Pastor Protection Act” that is being “designed to protect all religious clergy from performing same sex marriages, as well as, providing legal protection from being forced to perform same sex marriages on church property,” according to Terry’s press release.

In the Supreme Court majority decision on same-sex marriage, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote about Fourteenth Amendment liberties and also wrote about First Amendment religious rights.

“The right of same-sex couples to marry is also derived from the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. The Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause are connected in a profound way. Rights implicit in liberty and rights secured by equal protection may rest on different precepts and are not always coextensive, yet each may be instructive as to the meaning and reach of the other”

Kennedy goes on to say: “Finally, the First Amendment ensures that religions, those who adhere to religious doctrines, and others have protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths.”

In his dissent of the SCOTUS decision, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote: “In our society, marriage is not simply a governmental institution; it is a religious institution as well. Today’s decision might change the former, but it cannot change the latter. It appears all but inevitable that the two will come into conflict, particularly as individuals and churches are confronted with demands to participate in and endorse civil marriages between same-sex couples.”

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