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Tennessee lawmakers file bill to nullify gay marriage in state
Two Republican lawmakers have filed a bill to nullify the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act was introduced in both the state house and senate on Thursday (17 September).
‘Natural marriage between one man and one woman as recognized by the people of Tennessee remains the law in Tennessee, regardless of any court decision to the contrary,’ it states.
‘Any court decision purporting to strike down natural marriage, including Obergefell v Hodges, is unauthoritative, void, and of no effect.’
The bill’s authors, Rep Mark Pody and Sen Mae Beavers, were cheered as they addressed a ‘religious freedom’ rally held outside the state capitol on the same day they filed the bill.
‘Marriage is between a man and a woman in Tennessee,’ Pody yelled.
‘We’re going to tell the attorney-general, he will defend marriage in Tennessee as it is written on our constitution,’ said Beavers, referring to a state ban on gay marriage that was overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2006.
However, the Tennessean newspaper noted that it’s unlikely the bill would be found constitutional if passed.
‘This is futile, costly, and chaotic,’ Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project told WSMV-TV.
‘Because I’ll tell you, couples who want to get married will not take no for an answer.’
Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court gay marriage case, responded to the bill on Twitter:
Get over it. You lost. Move on to other things that would make life better for your citizens. All citizens. t.co/Orm5MVm4OI
— Jim Obergefell (@JimObergefell) September 18, 2015
Tennessee lawmakers have already introduced the Tennessee Pastor Protection Act to ‘protect’ clergy from being ‘forced’ to officiate gay weddings, even though there is nothing in the Supreme Court ruling that does so.
The General Assembly will vote on the bill after it reconvenes in January.
The post Tennessee lawmakers file bill to nullify gay marriage in state appeared first on Gay Star News.
Darren Wee
www.gaystarnews.com/article/tennessee-lawmakers-file-bill-to-nullify-gay-marriage-in-state/
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