http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/06/1399677/-Katie-Lang-TX-sued-caves-now-issuing-same-sex-marriage-licenses?detail=email
Katie Lang is the county clerk of Hood County, TX. She decided that her religious principles would not allow her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in spite of (and to spite) the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Obergefell. (Of course, the fact that her husband is going to run for office as a Republican never entered into her decision, I'm sure.)
So when Jim Cato and Joe Stapleton tried to get a marriage license after a 27-year relationship, Katie refused. But she said that she'd probably be able to find some amoral clerk in her office who would issue a license. Lang thought it would be at least three weeks before she could have the correct marriage license form.
Undeterred, Jim and Joe showed up again. This time they had the necessary forms that Texas had made available on June 26, 2015 online. Lang again refused even though the couple had all of the required documents. She couldn't even seem to find anyone else in the office to process the documents, either.
Jim and Joe decided to escalate their case. They hired a pair of attorneys who drafted a suit directed against Lang in her role as county clerk.
“We’re just here to get a marriage license. We’ve been calling every day and every day we’ve been denied,” Cato said last week. “We’ve been told now it’ll be three weeks or more. If she doesn’t immediately provide us with a marriage license, then the lawsuit moves forward on Monday.”
As promised, the couple electronically filed the lawsuit against Lang on Monday morning. “If her personal beliefs keep her from her duties as county clerk,” Cato said last week, “then she should probably step out of her job.”
Almost immediately after the filing of the suit, a miracle occurred. I call it "The Parting of the Red Tape." There was a puff of incense and the Clerk's office was filled with rainbow light. Behold, a Texas Marriage License did appear, properly completed, sealed and signed.
So Joe and Jim have finally gotten their long awaited license. But there's more that makes the story even a little sweeter.
Jim and Joe were afraid that other LGBT couples might have to put up with Lang's religious views when they went to apply. They also want to be able to recover their attorneys' fees. So they, and their attorneys did not withdraw the suit. It will go forward. As their attorneys say:
The license was issued this morning, a few hours after the lawsuit was filed, in handwriting on the existing license form, which proves that County Clerk Lang easily could have complied with the law without waiting 10 days. Under these circumstances, the lawsuit will not be dismissed until and unless we have an agreement from Clerk Lang that her office will issue marriage licenses to all couples, gay and straight, without delay, and an agreement to pay Jim and Joe’s attorneys’ fees for being forced to file the lawsuit.
this was brilliant even though it's not hard to maneuver a bigot they seem to walk with blinders not seeing what's coming because they think nothing can come that will override their prejudices. those people in public service if they do find themselves at odds with any part of that public need to get a job say in a coal mine or be fired for not doing their job as described.
believing in hate is an all consuming effort problem is the only one going through anything is the hater the hated don't know or don't care so they go abut their lives the hater will they are non stop trying to come up with ways to exercise their religious right to discriminate another problem that is a self imposed right not God given. this all would be a non issue if she had just done her job this is how ignorance influences hate.
