Oregon County Bans ALL Marriage

[The Kernel]

CNN

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) -- In a new twist in the battle over same-sex marriage roiling the United States, a county in Oregon has banned all marriages -- gay and heterosexual -- until the state decides who can and who cannot wed.

The last marriage licenses were handed out in Benton County at 4 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. EST) Tuesday. As of Wednesday, officials in the county of 79,000 people will begin telling couples applying for licenses to go elsewhere until the gay marriage debate is settled.

"It may seem odd," Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but "we need to treat everyone in our county equally."

State Attorney General Hardy Myers said in a statement that he was "very pleased" with Benton County's decision. "It is my sincere hope that the legal process will provide clarity for each of Oregon's counties."

The three County commissioners had originally decided to start handing out gay marriage licenses this week but on Monday reversed that decision amid a growing firestorm of lawsuits across the country, and decided instead to put a temporary halt to all marriages.

Rebekah Kassell, a spokeswoman for Basic Rights Oregon, a pro-gay marriage group, told Reuters; "It is certainly a different way for county commissioners to respect their constitutional obligation to apply the law equally to everyone.

"We appreciate that they are willing to say they are not going to participate in discrimination."

Tim Nashif, the spokesman for the Defense of Marriage Coalition, said; "Oregon not only has the only county in the nation issuing illegal (same-sex) marriage licenses, we probably have the only county in the nation refusing to issue marriage licenses at all."

"We are happy Benton County is not going to violate the law by issuing illegal marriage licenses, but we are perplexed as to why they would not issue legal licenses," he added.

Benton County, whose county seat is Corvallis, is home to Oregon State University and is seen as a bastion of liberalism.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would file a lawsuit Wednesday against Oregon or an unnamed state entity over the state's failure to register the more than 2,550 marriage licenses issued by Portland's Multnomah County to gay couples since March 3.

Multnomah County, the state's most populous, is the only jurisdiction in the United States that continues to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Local governments from San Francisco to New Paltz, New York, have halted the practice amid lawsuits and protests.

This is...odd.

[DPDarkPrimus]

If enough places take this stance, the Supreme Court will have to stop pussyfooting around.

[consequences]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

[The Kernel]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

[Howedar]

That's exactly the sort of thing Benton County would do. They're not stupid.

[consequences]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

No link, this is first-hand info from an employee, one that I have reason to trust. I am reluctant to state specifics, as the first two times they issued this directive, it came with an explicit instruction not to disseminate, the lack of repetition on the third time may have been a simple oversight, that they could technically correct at any time, and I don't wish to get my source in trouble.

[Mayabird]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

Found something. Fear my elite Googling skills!

From http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/gay_marriage/

Sunday, February 29, 2004
Social Security Won't Honor San Francisco Marriage Licences

Radio KCBS in San Francisco reports that until courts rule on the legality of San Francisco's gay marriages, the Social Security Administration will not accept any marriage certificates issued by San Francisco on or after February 12 as proof to change names on social security records.

Another form of identification will have to be used such as a driver's license, an employee ID, or a passport.

The Social Security Administration's web site explains:

If you change your name, be sure to tell both Social Security and your employer. This will assure that your earnings will be properly reported by your employer and recorded in our records.

The Social Security Administration isn't accepting any San Francisco marriage certificates, not even the ones issued to heterosexual couples.

Resistence is futile.

UPDATE: Mayor Gavin Newsom accused President Bush of political showmanship and discrimination because of the Social Security Administration's decision to not accept any marriage licenses from San Francisco.

According to the Associated Press:

Newsom called the move "political and retaliatory."

The president is not only now discriminating against gay couples, he's discriminating against straight people.

[The Albino Raven]

Well, it does force the issue. I like it.

[consequences]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

Found something. Fear my elite Googling skills!

From http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/gay_marriage/

Sunday, February 29, 2004
Social Security Won't Honor San Francisco Marriage Licences

Radio KCBS in San Francisco reports that until courts rule on the legality of San Francisco's gay marriages, the Social Security Administration will not accept any marriage certificates issued by San Francisco on or after February 12 as proof to change names on social security records.

Another form of identification will have to be used such as a driver's license, an employee ID, or a passport.

The Social Security Administration's web site explains:

If you change your name, be sure to tell both Social Security and your employer. This will assure that your earnings will be properly reported by your employer and recorded in our records.

The Social Security Administration isn't accepting any San Francisco marriage certificates, not even the ones issued to heterosexual couples.

Resistence is futile.

UPDATE: Mayor Gavin Newsom accused President Bush of political showmanship and discrimination because of the Social Security Administration's decision to not accept any marriage licenses from San Francisco.

According to the Associated Press:

Newsom called the move "political and retaliatory."

The president is not only now discriminating against gay couples, he's discriminating against straight people.

Well there you go. Thanks!

[SAMAS]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

Here you go

[consequences]

The Social Security Administration has been issued orders to not accept as valid any marriage licenses issued in areas where gay couples were allowed to register during this recent period.

I didn't hear about that. Link?

Here you go

Jackass.

[Tom_Aurum]

Kinda sounds like my idea for solving the problem with gays and the military. If gays aren't allowed to talk about their love lives, why should anyone else be able to? Hence a rule that would discharge anyone who even mentioned a relationship.

But, that could only be if I were president.

[consequences]

Kinda sounds like my idea for solving the problem with gays and the military. If gays aren't allowed to talk about their love lives, why should anyone else be able to? Hence a rule that would discharge anyone who even mentioned a relationship.

But, that could only be if I were president.

Just because the Federal Government implemented a version of your idea doesn't make it a good one. Rather the opposite in fact.

[LadyTevar]

Just as I've been stating around the watercooler here at work: Discrimination is Discrimination, whether it's a Mixed Race or a Gay couple.
Check your history, folks, back in the sixties, when several states had laws against Mixed Race Marriages (or, if not actual laws on the books, they had Traditions, which is worse)

[Darksider]

While it does seem like an interesting way to force the issue, I fear the coming shit storm when the fundies decide to fight this.......

[Rogue 9]

This is... odd.

It isn't just going to be fundies fighting this, you know.

[Darksider]

That's why I fear the coming storm. If it was just fundies, then who the hell cares right? They can scream and pray until their blue in the face and I won't give a damn. But now they'll be able to "rally the masses" so to speak, everyone who wants to get married will support their cause and could become new converts. That is going to make this get REAL ugly.

[Captain tycho]

That's why I fear the coming storm. If it was just fundies, then who the hell cares right? They can scream and pray until their blue in the face and I won't give a damn. But now they'll be able to "rally the masses" so to speak, everyone who wants to get married will support their cause and could become new converts. That is going to make this get REAL ugly.

Don't forget that Herr Bush is a good ole fundie too. (Although he may just be trying to appease voters with this amedment thing.) And about the 'total marriage ban', I think it's a good idea. It gets the message across to the rest of the nation.

[General Zod]

now if only we could get more places to follow oregon county's example.

[LadyTevar]

now if only we could get more places to follow oregon county's example.

Well, I can't ask the WV State Registrar about this until next week.. he's on Vacation. The Asst. Registrar thinks that the whole thing's going to be forced to a head in the near future, and the Presidental election will hinge on it.

[JME2]

CNN

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) -- In a new twist in the battle over same-sex marriage roiling the United States, a county in Oregon has banned all marriages -- gay and heterosexual -- until the state decides who can and who cannot wed.

The last marriage licenses were handed out in Benton County at 4 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. EST) Tuesday. As of Wednesday, officials in the county of 79,000 people will begin telling couples applying for licenses to go elsewhere until the gay marriage debate is settled.

"It may seem odd," Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but "we need to treat everyone in our county equally."

State Attorney General Hardy Myers said in a statement that he was "very pleased" with Benton County's decision. "It is my sincere hope that the legal process will provide clarity for each of Oregon's counties."

The three County commissioners had originally decided to start handing out gay marriage licenses this week but on Monday reversed that decision amid a growing firestorm of lawsuits across the country, and decided instead to put a temporary halt to all marriages.

Rebekah Kassell, a spokeswoman for Basic Rights Oregon, a pro-gay marriage group, told Reuters; "It is certainly a different way for county commissioners to respect their constitutional obligation to apply the law equally to everyone.

"We appreciate that they are willing to say they are not going to participate in discrimination."

Tim Nashif, the spokesman for the Defense of Marriage Coalition, said; "Oregon not only has the only county in the nation issuing illegal (same-sex) marriage licenses, we probably have the only county in the nation refusing to issue marriage licenses at all."

"We are happy Benton County is not going to violate the law by issuing illegal marriage licenses, but we are perplexed as to why they would not issue legal licenses," he added.

Benton County, whose county seat is Corvallis, is home to Oregon State University and is seen as a bastion of liberalism.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would file a lawsuit Wednesday against Oregon or an unnamed state entity over the state's failure to register the more than 2,550 marriage licenses issued by Portland's Multnomah County to gay couples since March 3.

Multnomah County, the state's most populous, is the only jurisdiction in the United States that continues to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Local governments from San Francisco to New Paltz, New York, have halted the practice amid lawsuits and protests.

This is...odd.

Interesting. I'd love to see the reactions of the religious nuts over in the South and D.C.

[LadyTevar]

Interesting. I'd love to see the reactions of the religious nuts over in the South and D.C.

Does "Burn THEM!" sound familiar?

[JME2]

Interesting. I'd love to see the reactions of the religious nuts over in the South and D.C.

Does "Burn THEM!" sound familiar?

Well if I'm sure if they had their way, anyone not acting Christian would bne hanged or burned at the stake.

[Howedar]

now if only we could get more places to follow oregon county's example.

It is a county in Oregon. It is not Oregon county. Oregon is a state.

[Rogue 9]

Why does this remind me of that Onion article reporting that Massachusetts had abolished straight relationships and mandated gay marriage for everyone?