Entire Staff in Tenn. County Clerk’s Office Resigns Over Same-Sex Marriage

The entire staff at a Tennessee county clerk’s office submitted their resignations this week rather than issue same-sex marriage licenses, reports WBIR.


Decatur County Clerk Gwen Pope —  along with employees Sharon Bell and Mickey Butler — said their last day on the job will on July 14, and that they are leaving because the Supreme Court’s decision to allow same-sex marriages clashes with their religious beliefs.

Speaking for the three employees whose resignations take effect July 14, Pope said they were doing it for “for the glory of God,” and not for the publicity.

“It’s kind of sort of like you don’t want to draw attention to yourself for any reason,” Pope explained. “That’s not why we’re doing this. Not doing it in any way to draw attention to us. It’s for the glory of God. He’s going to get all the glory.”

Pope said that none of the employees have new jobs lined up,  but that “I honestly believe God will take care of us.”

According to Drew Baker of the Tennessee Equality Project, Decatur County is the only county in the state that has said it won’t issue same-sex licenses and,  so far, has not had any requests.

Decatur County Commissioner David Boroughs said he supports the soon-to-be-unemployed staffers for sticking to their beliefs.

“That’s a personal individual decision, but I strongly support them if their faith is that strong,” Boroughs said. “I’m proud of them that their faith is so strong and well-rounded that they feel they can do that.”

The County Commission is scheduled to meet on  July 13 to appoint a new county clerk, however there was no indication whether the new clerk will follow the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Understand the importance of honest news ?

So do we.

The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be catastrophic not only to our health - mental and physical - but also to the stability of millions of people. For all of us independent news organizations, it’s no exception.

We’ve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. We’ve always understood the importance of calling out corruption, regardless of political affiliation.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. Invest with us.

Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access , or click here to become a subscriber . Thank you.

Click to donate by check .

DonateDonate by credit card
Donate by Paypal
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}
@2024 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. - "Poynter" fonts provided by fontsempire.com.