U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denies request for stay from Kentucky’s Rowan County clerk regardless of her personal religious opinion of marriage equality.

Two young Italian girls, both dressed as bride advocating for same-sex marriage at the 2010 Gay Pride in Rome

Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organisation, responded to the news that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has denied a request from Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis of Kentucky to issue a stay on a lower court’s ruling that orders her to immediately resume issuing marriage licenses – including to same-sex couples – regardless of her religious objections to marriage equality. U.S. District Judge David Bunning had temporarily stayed his order directing her to do so while Davis appealed his decision to the Sixth Circuit.

“Public servants have a responsibility to serve the entire public, including LGBT people,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs.  “Freedom of religion is important, and Ms. Davis has the fundamental right to believe what she likes, but as a public servant she does not have the right to pick and choose which laws she will follow or which services she will provide. If Ms. Davis feels as though she cannot fulfil her responsibilities, she should resign her public position.”

Davis is represented by the vehemently anti-LGBT Liberty Counsel.

Photo By Blackcat (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Two young Italian girls, both dressed as bride advocating for same-sex marriage at the 2010 Gay Pride in Rome

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