Duval, Clay, Baker counties to end courthouse weddings to avoid marrying gays

[brainstormer]

It is refreshing to see Mayor Gillum model true leadership by having a progressive, democratic opinion and not being afraid to defend it. He obviously believes that his role as mayor requires him to represent all citizens, not just the ones he goes to church with.

Mayor Brown could take some leadership lessons from Gillum. So could all Democrats for that matter.

[finehoe]

Marriages originated from religion, right? 

No.  Marriages in the West were originally contracts between the families of two partners, with both the church and the state staying out of it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/historical-marriage-definitions_n_4589763.html

[jerry cornwell]

... January 5, 2015 the federal order staying the ruling that Florida's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional will expire. This will allow same-sex couples to go to the courthouse to apply for a marriage license beginning on the morning of January 6, 2015. The licenses issued will require a 3 day waiting period before the couple can get married. This means the first day the couple can be married is January 10, 2015. Notaries and clergy will be present in Hemming Park to marry couples who have validly issued licenses. We will have a DJ for dancing afterwards in a mass reception.

All same-sex couples who come to the park on this day with a validly issued license, issued on January 6, 2015, can participate in this event. We are organizing the event to perform mass and individual weddings on this day.

You are welcome to come to celebrate and support the newly weds! Newly Weds should bring $10.00 for the recording of their licenses at the clerk's office.

If, on the off chance it isn't legal that day, come anyway and we will have a peaceful demonstration against the prohibition...... Oh! and we will dance anyway!!!

"excellent"!

[tufsu1]

It is refreshing to see Mayor Gillum model true leadership by having a progressive, democratic opinion and not being afraid to defend it. He obviously believes that his role as mayor requires him to represent all citizens, not just the ones he goes to church with.

Mayor Brown could take some leadership lessons from Gillum. So could all Democrats for that matter.

I doubt Alvin Brown would characterize himself as a progressive Democrat.  Andrew Gillum is also Mayor of a city far more progressive than the entirety of Duval County, so some could argue that Brown is representing the larger community.

[brainstormer]

It is refreshing to see Mayor Gillum model true leadership by having a progressive, democratic opinion and not being afraid to defend it. He obviously believes that his role as mayor requires him to represent all citizens, not just the ones he goes to church with.

Mayor Brown could take some leadership lessons from Gillum. So could all Democrats for that matter.

I doubt Alvin Brown would characterize himself as a progressive Democrat.  Andrew Gillum is also Mayor of a city far more progressive than the entirety of Duval County, so some could argue that Brown is representing the larger community.

I guess I'm just tired of Brown not taking stances on anything. To me that is a sign of weak leadership. His own fears of something being used against him during reelection keep him from recognizing that a segment of Jacksonville's population gained rights this week. The least he could have done is come out and said that he is happy more citizens of Jacksonville will have a better quality of life as a result of the marriage ruling. He could have reaffirmed that our taxpayer built courthouse should be open to all. He could have stated that Fussell's decision does more to harm the hundreds of straight couples in our city that use the courthouse to get married and that once again, the decision seemed hastily made and mean-spirited. He does claim to be a Democrat after all.

I've been saying for years I should just leave Jacksonville and maybe it is time. I clearly don't fit in here.

[Tacachale]

^Brown hid under his desk during the Human Rights Ordinance debates, and then worked behind the scenes to torpedo it. No way he's surfacing on this issue.

[Jumpinjack]

Weddings at the courthouse are coming BACK! 
http://www.news4jax.com/news/weddings-may-return-to-the-duval-county-courthouse/30618464

[Charles Hunter]

But it doesn't sound like the Clerk's office will be doing them

"I am working with Chief Judge (Donald) Mohan (sic: Moran) and the Bar Association on a solution to work it out where they could do the ceremonies in the courthouse for the arbor area, and that is all," Fussell said. "Hopefully they can come to a resolution with that. That is it."

"where THEY could the ceremonies" - so as not to upset Fussel's delicate sensibilities - which doesn't really change anything, because judges or others could do wedding anyway

[Jumpinjack]

Seems to me that the judge is trying to help Mr Fussell get out of the "briar patch".

[Buforddawg]

If Fussell cannot serve all of Duval County citizen's he should resign.  How much money is Duval county going to lose because weddings are no longer going to be performed at the courthouse?

If his staff felt uncomfortable DOING THEIR JOB, then they should have been fired.  I am sure there are plenty of unemployed citizens in Jacksonville that can do the job and not feel uncomfortable.

I know for a fact if I told the company I work for that I do not feel comfortable doing my job I would be fired.   

[Fallen Buckeye]

If Fussell cannot serve all of Duval County citizen's he should resign.  How much money is Duval county going to lose because weddings are no longer going to be performed at the courthouse?

If his staff felt uncomfortable DOING THEIR JOB, then they should have been fired.  I am sure there are plenty of unemployed citizens in Jacksonville that can do the job and not feel uncomfortable.

I know for a fact if I told the company I work for that I do not feel comfortable doing my job I would be fired.

So firing someone because they refuse to violate their religious beliefs is not discriminatory? Hmmm. Interesting.

[thelakelander]

It would be like sort of firing a bar tender who refuses to serve drinks because the drinking of alcohol is against his beliefs. You're not let go because of your personal beliefs. You're let go because you can't perform the requirements of your position.  That's not discriminatory. Sort of like being against stripping, then applying and accepting a job that requires you to get naked and dance for money. If you refuse to do the job you were hired to do but still expect a paycheck for showing up, what other options does management have? At some point, personal responsibility has to come into play. If I have a fear of flying, I should not apply or train to become a pilot.

[Josh]

If Fussell cannot serve all of Duval County citizen's he should resign.  How much money is Duval county going to lose because weddings are no longer going to be performed at the courthouse?

If his staff felt uncomfortable DOING THEIR JOB, then they should have been fired.  I am sure there are plenty of unemployed citizens in Jacksonville that can do the job and not feel uncomfortable.

I know for a fact if I told the company I work for that I do not feel comfortable doing my job I would be fired.

So firing someone because they refuse to violate their religious beliefs is not discriminatory? Hmmm. Interesting.

It would seem to me that it's the individuals getting married that are violating the clerk's religious beliefs, not the clerk themself.

[tufsu1]

If his staff felt uncomfortable DOING THEIR JOB, then they should have been fired.  I am sure there are plenty of unemployed citizens in Jacksonville that can do the job and not feel uncomfortable.

the key question here is whether performing weddings is a required duty of the Clerk of Courts office.

[Charles Hunter]

I do not think it is a requirement of the Clerk of the Courts, per the Florida Constitution, despite there being a fee schedule in statute.
However, it was a part of the job when Fussell and the staff took their jobs.  What if some of them "felt uncomfortable" with inter-racial or inter-faith marriages?  Or of two Wiccans?  Or a couple of significantly different ages?