Dave Ermold and David Moore
Irion County Clerk Molly Criner has been getting a lot of attention here in Texas for her steadfast refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But there are others around the country.
In Kentucky, David Ermold and his partner, David Moore, have video footage of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and her employees not only refusing to issue a marriage license to them, but calling the police on them as well.
The incident happened Monday, July 6, just a few days after the ACLU filed suit against Davis and Rowan County on behalf of four couples — two same-sex couples and two opposite-sex couples — who were denied marriage licenses by Davis’ office.
According to ABC News, Ermold said Davis “reiterated her religious views. She spoke to us about Adam and Eve and about Eve was from the rib of Adam. I was starting to get a little upset and I ended up walking out.”
“She was very specific in stating that she was denying our license based on her personal views,” he added. “She was worried about her own soul.”
Ermold and Moore, who have been together 17 years, said they know they could have gone to a different county to get a license. But they wanted to get the license in the county where they live, own property and pay taxes.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on June 26 issued a statement praising the Supreme Court decision for ending the “unsustainable and unbalanced legal environment” created by the patchwork of local and state laws regarding marriage equality. He also sent a letter to all Kentucky county clerks, reminding them of their oath to uphold the law and urging them to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision.
