At city courthouse, gay couples seek marriage to protest law
The Daily Progress/Megan Lovett
Andre A. Hakes (right) rallies members of the gay and lesbian community at the Charlottesville Circuit Court during a demonstration in support of same-sex marriage.
Six same-sex couples seeking to wed were turned away Thursday afternoon at the Charlottesville Circuit Court clerk’s office.
“We’re here to fix a problem today,” said Charlottesville lawyer Andre A. Hakes, who organized the protest. “Black, white, yellow or green. Everyone can get married, except for gay people.”
Hakes and her partner of more than a decade, Catherine Gillespie, delivered a big red heart-shaped box of chocolates to Circuit Court Clerk Paul C. Garrett and applied for a marriage license.
“You’re aware of the current statute?” Garrett asked.
“You betcha,” Hakes replied.
“I’m sorry, I’m not able to comply with your request,” Garrett said.
“But thank you for the candy,” he added. “I’ll pass it out to my staff.”
The six couples from the Charlottesville area were among hundreds of gay and lesbian partners who unsuccessfully sought marriage licenses Thursday across the country.
The Valentine’s Day week protest comes in the aftermath of Proposition 8, which overturned gay marriage in California. Virginia voters approved a state constitutional amendment in 2006 that banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.
“Denying these rights to couples is hurtful,” Hakes said. “The people who want to get married here today are normal people. We do our laundry. We pay our taxes. We want to get married.”
Hakes likened Virginia’s laws banning same-sex marriage to the state’s history of denying blacks and whites the ability to wed each other. It was not until 1967 that interracial couples were allowed to marry in Virginia.
Albemarle County residents Nancy and Emily Nolte-Shotwell have been together for nine years and wed in a civil commitment ceremony at Fry’s Spring Beach Club in 2002. On Wednesday, they were among the six couples who sought legal recognition of their relationship.
“This country was founded on the principle of religious freedom,” Emily Nolte-Shotwell said. “I feel like I’m suffering religious persecution.”
Nancy Nolte-Shotwell said the same-sex marriage ban makes her “feel less of a person.”
“I pay taxes. I’m a citizen of Virginia. I’m a citizen of the United States,” she said. “I deserve the same rights as everyone else.”
The six couples were joined by a crowd of 45 supporters, some of whom waved rainbow flags and held up anti-“H8” signs. There were no counter-protesters.
A few of the gay marriage supporters handed out Hershey’s Kisses to court employees and sheriff’s deputies.
“To me, it’s important to remind people that even on Valentine’s Day, Virginia is not for all lovers,” said Albemarle County resident Mary Rodriguez, whose son is gay.
Linda Goodling, also of Albemarle, wore a rainbow scarf to the protest. “It’s important that we value all families,” she said.
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Reader Reactions
“But that is not what marriage is.“
Maybe not to you. Less than 50 years ago, in Virginia it was illegal to marry inter racially. I’m sure there were many who felt the same way about interracial marriage then. In fact, I daresay that people were murdered/lynched because of it.
We got past that. We’ll get past this.
“They want it promoted, taught, and integrated into society”
Integrated into society, sure - I see nothing wrong with that. But promoted and taught? Do you think that if we allow gay marriage that means the homos are going to demand to teach your kids how to be gay? Do you think it means the Gay Pride Squad will start knocking on doors to sign up new members? You probably don’t believe this, but that’s not QUITE the way it works.
Look at it this way: if society allows gays to marry, think of the economic boost! There will be a huge positive impact on the wedding industry! More people will be paying for marriage licenses. Economically, there’s nothing but upside!
“The argument against same sex marriage is ultimately based on scripture.“
Precisely! And that is why the argument is 100% irrelevant. If we are to base our laws on scripture, and argue that the Bible is the revealed Word of God, then we can’t pick and choose. Let’s see these back on the books:
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 states, “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father 50 shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.“
Slavery is explicitly condoned and nowhere condemned.
1 Tim 2:9 “Women cannot have braided hair, nor wear pearls, gold, or costly array.“
1 Pet 3:1 says that “A woman must be submissive to her husband, in the same way” What does,“in the same way” mean? To answer that look at what “submission” means in the end of 1 Peter 2. That’s were it talks about slaves being submissive to their masters and taking a beating, even for doing good acts.
1 Peter 3:1 says a woman should not complain if her husband beats her.
Also, Jesus didn’t say a single word about homosexuality, but he preached vehemently against divorce and remarriage, which is not only legal, but heavily practiced by conservative and other Christians.
But trumping all of these now-ignored Biblical laws is this one that retains its relevance: Judge not, that ye be not judged. It doesn’t say Judge not except for Homosexuals or non-believers - that particular pronouncement isn’t qualified at all.
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
It was just a big ceremony to get on the news. I saw on a TV interview a lady saying they would just show up next year again. Why once a year exactly?
The argument against same sex marriage is ultimately based on scripture. The problem with this argument is the tenet of “separation of church and state.“ Laws should not be based on religious beliefs, as our country was founded on freedom of religion. To deny same-sex couples the right to marry because of religious beliefs goes against both of those core values our country was founded on.
Why do the proponents of same sex marriage think that it is right? They must believe it is. They want it promoted, taught, and integrated into society - and do not undertsand why people would not challenge it?. If they want to be together and have some tye of sexual relationship, that is up to them. But that is not what marriage is.
I’m still trying to figure out how allowing gay marriage would somehow threaten or lessen my heterosexual marriage. That seems to be the big claim, isn’t it? That somehow if we allow gays to marry it is a danger to so-called traditional marriage. Happily, my marriage can withstand the challenge!
Sorry, I just don’t see it. Haven’t heard a single argument that makes a lick of sense.
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