After Voiding Same-Sex Marriages For 300 Couples, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette Is Under Fire
Michigan’s Attorney General, Bill Schuette, is seeing angry and hurt responses tonight after an announcement that approximately 300 same-sex marriages in the state are to be considered void. The AG announced on Sunday morning that he had directed officials to treat the same-sex marriages as though they had never happened.
The approximately 300 marriages were in a sort of limbo since March, when a Federal judge overturned Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriages. Weddings went on for a day before a stay was issued, preventing any more until appeal, according to the Detroit News.
However, the surprise came when, unlike other appeals courts, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals began to uphold bans in states under its ruling — a move that will lead to the Supreme Court being asked again to address the matter. On Friday, the court ruled on Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban, confirming the state’s right to deny marriage to some citizens.
The immediate result, though, was to re-open the question of whether the hundreds of same-sex marriages performed in March are valid.
According to MLive, Attorney General Bill Schuette took up that question on Sunday, announcing that the marriages are not only void, but should be considered to have never happened.
Now, however, the AG is hearing what his constituents think about his statements. On Schuette’s Facebook page, the conversation is about little else.
According to Bill they didn’t raise that flag for gays. Why the hell would try to stop banks from serving the gay community. Now I’m not gay but this is just mean. You bigot.
Many gays are Veterans remember that they fought and died like everyone else
Fighting to give people rights in other countries while denying basic human rights right here at home in Michigan is hypocritical,and when do us queers get to start paying 2nd class taxes?
The blowback on Twitter is similar.
@SchuetteOnDuty Void someone’s marriage like it never existed? WTF is wrong with you? Sorry kids no parent for you! Rip the license in two!
— Ryley (@BFlyMom25) November 16, 2014
@SchuetteOnDuty Too bad you’re on the wrong side of history with regard to same sex marriage. No such legacy for you.
— Mister Cat (@balthcat) November 17, 2014
The Supreme Court, after refusing to hear same-sex marriage arguments in October, will soon be asked again to make the judgment. If they choose to hear the cases this time, it may be that a nationwide precedent is set on same-sex marriages.
[photo credit: wmrice]
