New Mexico County Clerks Bring Same-Sex Marriage to Forefront

As I have previously discussed, a Philadelphia register ofwills will soon appear in court for issuing marriage licenses to same-sexcouples in Pennsylvania, a state that does not recognize such marriages.

Clerks in six New Mexico counties have been doing thesame.  The first was Lynn Ellins, whobecame tired of waiting on the legislature and began issuing licenses on August21 from his office in Las Cruces.  Fiveother country clerks followed after a court order by an Albuquerque judge gavethem justification and permission. 

New Mexico is the only state with no statute explicitlybarring or validating same-sex marriages. The clerks have now joined a lawsuit brought by a same-sex couple beforethe New Mexico Supreme Court seeking a definitive ruling on the matter.

See Fernanda Santos & HeathHaussamen, Marriage Licenses for Same-SexCouples Force Issue to Fore in New Mexico, The New York Times, Sept. 2,2013.