A federal judge has ruled that Mississippi’s new law allowing clerks to refuse to issue marriage licenses because of their religious beliefs violates the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. The winning lawyer is Roberta Kaplan, who represented Edie Windsor in her historic case that shattered the Defense of Marriage Act.
U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves wrote somewhat pointedly:
Obergefell “is the law of the land and, consequently, the law of this circuit.” Mississippi’s elected officials may disagree with Obergefell, of course, and may express that disagreement as they see fit — by advocating for a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision, for example. But the marriage license issue will not be adjudicated anew after every legislative session.
Chalk this up to another win for Kaplan, who in addition to being a legal rock star, is also a mom—which isn’t necessarily relevant except that this is a parenting blog and I’m always interested in elevating the ways we LGBTQ parents are making positive change in the world. Here’s a cute photo of her, her spouse, and their son last year.
