New Mexico County Issuing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

[brooklynite]

Source: Time


A New Mexico county clerk announced Wednesday that his office will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses in a surprise move that comes as several legal challenges are working their way through the courts on whether gay couples can marry in the state.

In a statement, Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins said that he carefully read the state laws and concluded that the “state’s marriage statutes are gender neutral and do not expressly prohibit Dona Ana County from issuing marriage licenses to same-gender couples.”

The ruling immediately drew same-sex couples to the clerk’s office in the border town of Las Cruces, N.M., where the couples were receiving marriage licenses.

Ellins said he had been considering issuing licenses since last June. That’s when New Mexico Attorney General Gary King issued a position paper stating state laws don’t allow same-sex marriage but those laws could face court challenges.


Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/08/21/new-mexico-county-issuing-same-sex-marriage-licenses/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+timeblogs%2Fswampland+%28TIME%3A+Swampland%29

[aggiesal]

1. Good for Dona Ana County, but . . .

Las Cruces is not a border town.

It's 45 miles north of El Paso which is a border town.

That's like saying that Oceanside, CA. is a border town.

[Texano78704]

12. Maybe

Maybe they meant that Las Cruces was on the border of New Mexico and Texas.

[aggiesal]

13. Anthony sits exactly on the border . . .

between NM and TX.

Anthony, TX is 20 North of El Paso
Anthony, NM is 20 south of Las Cruces.

And yes it is the same city.

[DreamGypsy]

2. Just one of the many couples that make this action important...

From the ACLU: New Mexico Woman with Life-Threatening Cancer Asks Court to Let Her Marry Her Partner:

August 21, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, [email protected]

SANTA FE, N.M. – The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of New Mexico, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed an emergency request to allow a Pojoaque same-sex couple, Jen Roper and Angelique Neuman, to legally marry immediately because Jen suffers from a a life-threatening form of brain cancer that may prove fatal in the near future. Roper's health has deteriorated severely in the past few months. Today's request seeks an emergency order from the court that would allow the couple to marry so that Neuman and their three children will be legally protected should Roper pass away.

"I want to know that my family will be protected if I pass away," said Jen Roper. "Angelique and I have been married in our hearts for 21 years and raised three wonderful children together. Because of my illness, we do not have the luxury of waiting years for the courts to decide whether loving, committed same-sex couples can marry in New Mexico. For us, the time is now."

Roper and Neuman met in Socorro, N.M., during their first semester at New Mexico Tech, and fell in love almost immediately. Although New Mexico does not recognize their relationship, the couple considers themselves married for the 21 years they have been together. The couple settled in Northern New Mexico after the Los Alamos Labs hired Neuman to work as an engineer. Later, they adopted three siblings from the New Mexico foster care system. Their oldest child is enlisted in the U.S. Army and is currently in basic training.

Due to Roper's sudden and severe illness, the couple cannot travel out of state to marry in a place that does not discriminate against same-sex couples. The only way they can hope to protect their family in this time of crisis and realize their dream of being legally married is for the New Mexico courts to grant emergency relief that would allow the Santa Fe County to issue them a marriage license now, while the case proceeds.

[Posteritatis]

3. Seeing people actively take the initiative to do stuff like this is great. (nt)

[gopiscrap]

4. Alright!

[Arkana]

5. Pulling for New Mexico to become the next member of a very exclusive club.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. Off to the greatest. nt

[HumansAndResources]

7. Can we Take the Next Step - and Quit Discriminating Against Non-Married People??

All for equal-rights, here. But why is it "just" for the State to sanction ANY-One's personal relationships with special benefits?

[Warpy]

11. You want to promote a non blood relative to first degree relative,

you need to marry him or her. That's the reason for it, to gain those human rights not granted by contract law.

[blkmusclmachine]

8. .

.

[duhneece]

9. I can't believe this isn't bigger news on DU

We're just one county over, but with a very, very different political makeup. Dona Ana is a college town and second biggest city in NM tho' everyone knows Santa Fe better.
I'm pushing for our county to at least have a public forum, tho' I know our county won't approve. Already GOP state reps are talking about a law against these kinds of things happening.

[Warpy]

10. The Clerk of Court in Santa Fe County

has now been ordered to start issuing same sex marriage licenses. http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/sf-clerk-ordered-to-issue-gay-marriage-licenses/-/9153762/21622096/-/2o3bxt/-/index.html

I predicted a few months ago this state would be next because I knew the state supreme court was studying the issue.

It's being done quietly, one county at a time. We also got rid of the DP quietly a few years ago.

For being part of the Rocky Mountain wild west, this state is being remarkably civilized.