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SACRAMENTO, Ca -- A California county clerk-recorder in Yolo County, Ca. says she wants to hand out "certificates of inequality" to gay couples on Valentine’s Day.
United Press International reports that Freddie Oakley said she designed the certificates herself. She said she believes she should be able to give gay couples marriage licenses.
"We don’t discriminate against people on the basis of age, or health, or disability, or race, or ethnicity, or religion, but we do on the basis of gender in this matter," Oakley said, reports UPI. "I feel it’s inappropriate."
Feb. 14 is observed by many gays and lesbians as Freedom to Marry day, when they come to county clerk’s offices to dramatize their inability to have legal unions. Only one state, Massachusetts, recognizes gay marriage, while a few have civil partnership laws.
UPI reports that supporters of a ban on gay marriage said Oakley as a public official is obliged to uphold California’s laws.
"The people pay government officials to implement the law and to faithfully execute the law ... not to ridicule the law and perform stunts that advocate the overthrow of marriage," Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, told the Sacramento Bee.
The constitutionality of California’s current law banning gay marriage is pending before the state Supreme Court.
Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, recently reintroduced legislation to legalize gay marriage after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the idea in 2005.
"I issue this Certificate of Inequality to you because your choice of marriage partner displeases some people whose displeasure is, apparently, more important than principles of equality," the certificate reads, reports the Bee.
Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, which is sponsoring Leno’s gay marriage bill, Assembly Bill 43, told the Bee that Oakley is taking an important stand.
"She’s sworn to uphold the state and federal constitutions that provide for equal protection," Kors said to the Bee. "But at this point, she’s unable to do that."
Yolo County Supervisor Matt Rexroad told the Bee he opposes gay marriage but feels Oakley has a right to distribute the certificate.
"She’s an elected official making a political statement -- and elected officials do that from time to time," Rexroad said, reports the Bee. Source: edgeboston.com |
